Color + Composites

So diving into my work this semester, I’ve decided that their is another element that I want to focus on with my work and that is color and color schemes. In the past with my “Dog-Father” series I didn’t focus much on color or color schemes even when selecting items to “stage” the scenes for the photos. For my work this semester I’ve been really paying attention to color schemes and selecting props for my photos that fall within those schemes.

I really appreciate a neutral color palette. My entire house consists of shades of white, gray, cream, and black; even all four of my dogs fit within those color parameters. So, basically I plan on keeping my color schemes in that realm.

Below is a photo I took awhile ago of Luna which I really love because of the shadow and the color scheme. I like the lighting in it too; I just had a really cheap video light sitting on the dresser for it.

Below is an image by Julie Blackmon which I love so much. The use of the reflection is really cool and ties into one of my goals to use mirrors and reflections more in my work this semester. I also love the simple color scheme and how the red accents just pop.

So far I’ve done two composite photos that I feel like hit many of the goals I’ve set for this semester. If you haven’t been following my blogs thus far, my last blog talked in depth on what goals I want to accomplish within my work.

My first piece is titled “The Alarm Clock.” I love the simple color scheme in it. One of my goals was to include the human form in some way that isn’t super obvious. I was looking at ways in which to do so creatively and so that the human wouldn’t become the main star of the photo; and I think I successfully did that here.

I also really like how the dogs seem to have personality in this and they are interacting (well some of them) with the environment and things in the environment more so than in my past work. I think it would be cool to really try to capture their personalities in the pieces because I think that makes it more engaging and hits at the content behind my work that these dogs are pretty much like children. Ghost (the one screaming in the photo) is very much so the vocal, attention-seeking, class clown of the four dogs. This scene even though it was staged and each dog was photographed separately is very representative of real life in our house and I think that’s what makes it pretty cool and funny.

My second piece is called “Laundry Day” and I appreciate the color scheme, and I was selective in the color of items I chose to use. Again, I like how the dogs are interacting more withe environment. Also, it kind of becomes a little bit of a search because not all of the dogs are super easy to see right off the bat. I used the blanket to hide Nate’s face more to hopefully keep the main focus off of him.

I’m excited for the work I’ve done so far and can’t wait to see where my work goes the rest of the semester.