I like to read about the work of other artists and I was reading a blog post about drawing some daisies in tinted charcoal and the artist mentioned this:
I cropped it to simplify the composition and took my usual amount of artistic license after that.
The actual modifications were not actually that extensive, but it made me think – an artist drawing a scene in front of them (or from a photo) will create their best version of that scene, not necessarily the exact copy of what is there at that time. If there is a trash can by a beautiful cottage, I doubt if it makes it into an oil painting of the scene. But what should a photographer do? There was a sort of rule that the image should be created in the camera, but now it is so easy to change things in software, that the rules have been thrown away by many. I decided to try some changes to photos I took this week on a visit to a Lavender Farm near Deep Creek Lake in Maryland to see what you think is acceptable.
The first one is relatively small. I deliberately took this image to focus on the lavender plants at the front and have the out of focus umbrella to give some background interest:
Interesting enough, especially with the bee that might have attracted your attention in the front row. But why is the umbrella there when it isn’t even sunny? So perhaps we can make the feeling of summer and the lavender blossoms in full bloom by adding a bit of sun in the corner:
Nothing else was changed, but I already feel it has a warmer and more summery feel!
It unfortunately was cloudy that day and so an image of the lavender bushes and a nice pergola set against the distant trees is workmanlike but not particularly exciting. Who would want a cloudy summer’s day on their kitchen wall?
If I had been luckier with the weather, then I would have had a nicer image, and I could have travelled there a few times to try to capture what I was looking for.
So instead of making several trips to the farm (think of the environment!), I decided to change the sky:
Now is this cheating? The blue sky is actually one of my images as I take and store pictures of the sky to use in images like this. Now that is really looking more summery again and could be seen on a wall perhaps. But is this a step too far?
I did take some standard images of the rows of lavender plants as well, of course:
But because I also thought this was a bit busy, I experimented with moving the camera sideways as I took the shot with a relatively slow shutter speed. No longer cheating as this was done in the camera!!
Much more abstract, of course, and not to everyone’s taste, but I thought it gave a feeling of being there and being overwhelmed by colors and scents.
My final image is partially altered – the intent was to show what a view would look like from a farm cottage window looking out on these fields of lavender – a dream location perhaps. The owners of the farm had kindly put these “mock-up” windows around the fields so that you could have your photo taken, or take a photo of the lavender, and I did. I changed the sky, of course, to make it more summery and this is the result:
A step to far? I’d be interested in your views! By the way, am I the only one that thinks that the window is the wrong way round? If you were looking out of your home towards the fields, the window box would have been on the other side of the frame? Food for thought!
kmgunnart
10 Jul 2022The window *IS* the wrong way since the plants ought to be on the outside so they can get rain. As for your topic today, I will mention that subbing in a blue sky when the rest of the photo is from an overcast day may look brighter to most, but the light is off. I may or may not be able to nail it down and articulate the concept, but part of my brain notices the incongruity of a blue sky without strong sunlight. Same with adding a bit of lens flare on the first example. Some folks may be perfectly fine with it, and others will wonder what is off in what they are seeing because people are accustomed to the idea that a photograph is a capture of what is actually there.
Hmmm … that brings in more questions about expectations versus artistic license. This may need more consideration and discussion!
Steve Heap
10 Jul 2022You are, of course, right that changing something like “light” has multiple knock-on effects, but I did try to change the sky carefully so that it was a partly cloudy day and the sun could have been behind a cloud for the foreground elements. The trees do seem to have brighter areas that could be sun! And in the sun flare, I did think that with focus only on the front stalks, they also had a bit of a brighter edge that could be backlight! Of course I could be seeing things to make myself feel better about the changes. Yes, funny about those windows – there were maybe six of them and all faced the wrong way for what I imagined they were for. If you were painting “en plein air” (if I got that right), would you have painted a brighter sky? I’m sure you wouldn’t paint a trash can by a cottage door because it was there?
kmgunnart
10 Jul 2022Unless it makes a certain statement, a trash can would be omitted for sure. As for how I would do it … is that permission to play off one of these photos? If so, the one with the yellow shade umbrella will be painted! I love me some purples, especially with an easy yellow for contrast. Just like I said above, part of my brain would recognize the light being off, but I might not be able to say exactly what is off in your edited photo. I’d do a lot more than just sky: there would need to be brighter highlights everywhere, especially in the background, and also stronger shadows. The old saying about a picture being worth a thousand words (even for someone as wordy-nerdy as myself) applies here, so just say the word and I’ll do up an example.
Steve Heap
10 Jul 2022Of course – feel free to draw from any of my photos! It is nice of you to ask. It would be interesting to see the results and perhaps I will start up my trusty drawing app and do an automated one!
Interesting comment about the highlights and shadows. I did do some more work on that image and have uploaded it now to Pictorem. https://www.pictorem.com/587744/Lavender%20plants%20in%20blossom%20in%20early%20July.html?iframe=1
kmgunnart
10 Jul 2022As my son and husband love to say: “It is ON like Donkey Kong!” (And of course I wait until I receive permission.)
Alessandra Chaves
10 Jul 2022I really do not worry about these things when I’m doing my artistic work. Of corse editorial images are straight out of camera, bit commercial and prints it’s straight out of my imagination limited by the constraints of the frame. I find it easier to be creative in black and white because there’s no expectation of reality,
Steve Heap
11 Jul 2022Good point about black and white. I don’t worry either personally – I thought it would be a good discussion area perhaps!
Alessandra Chaves
11 Jul 2022There are quite a few photographers who get really worked out about this issue!
Anne
12 Jul 2022You have some lovely images here Steve and make some good points. I particularly love the view from a cottage window. As a fellow photographer, I feel that the amount you modify depends upon your intention for the piece. I like to think of my efforts as Wall Art or Greetings cards so I modify appropriately. If I was selling stock images then little modification beyond a crop is often best
Steve Heap
12 Jul 2022Thanks! Yes, that window one is interesting, even if it is the wrong way round!
jim hughes
16 Jul 2022These days, this subject can get photographers a bit wound up. Obviously, there are no rules in any objective sense, but we each evolve our own code of conduct regarding photographic imagery. I’m not into sky replacement, I don’t think it ever really works, on a subconscious level. I won’t add an element to a photo, and won’t remove anything unless it’s just a distraction or a bit of junk.
Steve Heap
16 Jul 2022I agree that sky replacement can be tricky to pull off artistically and subconsciously as you say. I have replaced plain blue with blue with a few clouds and I think that can work well to add a bit of interest. I’ve also gently improved sunsets, but there are some really extreme ones around.