This week it’s Amy’s turn to host the challenge. She writes, “There are many ways to express contrasts in photography, e.g. tone, colors, subjects, lights/shadows, and more. Most of the time, we probably capture them without thinking of the contrasts.” You can read her entire challenge post here. One of the contrasts I hit upon for this challenge is old vs. new. In the image above, a replica of a sailing ship is contrasted against the modern skyline of Cartagena.
In stark contrast to the modern glass and steel in Boston, Massachusetts, the South Meeting Hall in the foreground was a meeting place for the American revolutionaries in the late 1700s.
In black-and-white photography especially, photographers often turn up the contrast to create more interesting compositions or simply focus sharply on the subject. The strong backlight and the single spotlight on the singer are in stark contrast to the lighting in the bar. I emphasized the darkened surroundings with a digital dodge-and-burn technique the modern equivalent of print-making practiced by film photographers for probably over a century.
A few weeks ago, I watched a YouTube video about Josh Adamski and his creation of an effect that now bears his name. I tried my skill to create his effect that basically applies a motion blur to the background while keeping the subject in fully sharp focus. The image above turned out to be my favorite of the attempts I made. The result provides a different sort of “bokeh” that has the effect of emphasizing the contrast between background and subject.
Any dark subject on a bright background (or vice versa) creates its own contrast, but sometimes post-processing can emphasize that contrast. The dark butterfly contrasted nicely with the properly exposed background in the raw image, but I took it a step further by increasing the highlights to “blow out” the brightest parts of the image, but still keep a bit of detail in the background.
The natural contrast between light and shadow is apparent in this view of Waimea Canyon on the island of Kauai, the Garden Island in the Hawaiian Island chain. The skies filled with big, puffy fair weather clouds cast interesting patterns of shadow and light on the canyon below.
The image of abandoned docks on the Pecos River is in stark contrast to the river level captured in this photograph I captured in 2014. Statistical data on the condition of the Pecos River through 2022 told me that the drought continues, though improved rainfall last year improved conditions somewhat. Climate change exacerbates the lack of snow and runoff from the freshwater sources in the mountains of New Mexico and water levels in the Pecos continue to be very low.
In a small trailer, drone pilots use the control panel to operate a commercial drone that is slightly smaller than a two-passenger aircraft. The research project in North Dakota was designed to track agriculture for university studies. I noticed the cowboy hat sitting on the panel, to me it represents a contrast between old and new agricultural management techniques.
Thanks to Amy for this week’s challenge, and to Anne-Christine for last week’s “On Display” challenge. Next week, it’s my turn to create the challenge. As I am again on a short road trip, I’ve already got the challenge ready to go and it will automatically publish on Saturday at noon Eastern Time. I look forward to seeing your responses.
John
Flare Legend Adventures
Fantastic post, John. I love your Boston photo, great composition for this challenge, Waimea Canyon is wonderful, but my absolute favourite is the one with the Adamski Effect. I’ve never heard of it before but it looks like something I’d enjoy playing with. Your example is awesome.
Thanks, Sofia!. It is fun to play with creating the effect. In June I published this photo as well as some others with more details on how to process them. But, truth be told, there are YouTube videos that can do a better job than I did at providing a how-to. That’s how I learned to create the ones for the post.
I will be making more of these as the chance for a subject arises. They are fun to do.
I must have missed that post, John, sorry!
No problem. I follow so many people that I cannot be sure I have read all of them.
Hi John. I enjoyed your post very much. Like Sofia, the Adamski Effect image is my favorite. What a great technique. I’ll look up the video and try it myself. Thanks for the inspiration, John!
You bet, Patti. As I noted for Sofia, I have more examples in a post I did in June. They are fun to create.
Good one John, great contrasts and variety 🙂
Thanks, Brian!
The Adamski Effect is very cool. I’ll have to look into it, although I doubt I have the tools to mimic it.
It needed Photoshop to create the ones I experimented with, but recently Luminar Neo added a blur tool so I plan to give it a try when I find a suitable subject.
Thanks, Dawn!
Hi John, my favourite is the photograph of the beach scene using the Adamski Effect. I think I’ll have to investigate this further.
Thanks! Give it a try, it’s fun to create. There are several How-To videos on YouTube and you can check out my June 20 post for more examples that I did.
Well done John. I loved your Adamski effect image, very effective. I also really liked the closing image with the cowboy hat – great get!
Thanks, Tina! That last one was a surprise discovery as I scanned my gallery looking for possibilities. >grin<
great examples John. i loved that last one for the drone controls!
Thanks!!
Excellent choices, John! Great images of the new vs old and the black/white. The The Adamski Effect is remarkable. All are well captured!
Thanks, Amy! I really enjoy converting images to Black-and-white, and for that matter, any of the processing experiments!
Wonderful contrasts for this week. 😀 😀
Thanks, Cee!!
I love your Adamski shot – and it reminds me that I was planning to do more experimentation on those lines! I also really like the B&W shot of the musician and the light in Waimea Canyon 🙂
Thanks, Sarah! Post some of your Adamski experiments when you get a chance.
I will do 😀
Great response to this challenge John! I especially like the Adamski Effect image and the black and white portrait.
Thanks, Anne!!
Lovely photos, John! 😊 I must disagree with you though on the climate change thing.
Feel free to disagree.
Yep! I think it’s great when people agree to disagree to use a cliche’, it’s good for keeping the peace, John!
Your selections for the contrasts we intriguing with so many different ways to look at it. I wanted to have a favorite, but couldn’t decide, they were all so unique. If I had to choose, it’d be The Adamski Effect. Maybe you could do a post sometime on how you figured it out? I look forward to seeing what your prompt is on Saturday! Safe travels to you.
Check through my blog for the June 20 post this year. Some other examples and a link to a video that I used to teach me the process. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Lots of variations on the challenge, John. Fantastic as always. I love the photo you created with the Adamski Effect. Definitely engages the viewer in many ways. The Pesos docks initially threw me off. I thought they were an old RR. Of course a closer look and your dialogue shared otherwise. I liked that view as well. Great look at contrasts through your lens.
Thanks, Donna! Fun challenge this week as usual!
Great selections Joh. Love the musician and all the rest.
Thanks, John!
These are all excellent examples for the challenge. I especially like the old and new structures in Boston.
This is a great post, and I love your experimenting! The Adamski effect really had me – I’ll have to find your June post!
Give it a try. With the latest updates to Photoshop and Lightroom, I think they would be even easier to create than when I experimented. I plan to do more.
I will try – looks so wonderful and just the way I like some images to be.
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