I am exploring the feeling of reluctance through the experience of the desire to rebel. The objects pictured are a small tea set with broken pieces and a protest sign. The sign is positioned behind the tea set, partially out of frame, so as to not draw the viewer's attention immediately. The objects were photographed surrounded by muted colors, in low light, with the speedlight pointing away, to create a soft tone. The tea set and dish soap represents a person’s reluctance to do simple, expected tasks, such as washing dishes. The sign represents wanting to protest current events but feeling reluctant to stand out. Protest signs are commonly written in red because it is an intense color that evokes strong emotions. This sign is painted in light pink acrylics to show the hesitation to do so. Another aspect that shows reluctance is the vague message written on the sign: “FIGHT BACK”.
I learned multiple techniques while editing my photo. I cropped the photo using the rule of thirds, added adjustment layers for brightness/contrast and worked with hue/saturation. I learned to use AdobePhotoshop to select objects, save selections, and spot heal the image to remove small bits of dust and other specks on the objects. I also discovered that by using a vignette, I was able to bring attention to the center of the photo rather than the outer edges. I began editing my photo by cropping out part of the background to tighten the focus the objects. To bring further emphasis to the objects, I edited the sign by selecting the letters, adding a filter, and increasing saturation to make the words stand out against the paper. I also increased contrast across the entire photo to allow the tea cups to stand out more. Through these edits, the photo has a more precise focal point.
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