I don’t remember exactly when I started to get into photography, but I do remember being curious about how to capture the motion of life into a moment of stillness.
I’ve found photography to a be a beautiful medium in recording a snapshot of motion, from the rustling honeysuckles in the golden hour of the afternoon to the hovering bees in a flowering field.
But it doesn’t end there. The way a photographer edits a photo, enhancing certain tones and colors evokes emotions from people in way that I don’t know if anyone can explain. In my opinion, feeling evoked is when a recorded snapshot becomes art.
Here are 5 photographs I took of one of my closest friends, edited in specific ways in order to paint a specific feeling.
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Modern
Modern photography is characterized by clean blacks and clean colors. Nothing is too saturated or too contrasted. It is what you would see in real life.
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Vintage
I think there is a trend of vintage photography these days. With washed out colors and a noticeable grain. There is a quality of gritty nostalgia in this photo.
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Black and White
Who knew lack of color could have so much life?! I never found black and white photos to be appealing, but after editing this photo, I’ve found it’s one of my favorite styles. The clean lines of darkness contrasting the light gray tones creates a tangible sullen aura.
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Sepia
So, I did some research on the history of sepia (meaning cuttlefish) and apparently the style is rooted in Greco-Roman history. People would use the ink of cuttlefish to paint and draw, as they felt brown was more pleasing to the eye compared to black. As photography developed, a chemical process was used to replicate the earth-like tones found in paintings and drawings from that time period.
Here, the photo has almost a dream-like quality with the soft tones of brown. My friend’s wistful facial expression is amplified by the tender tints of sepia.
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Futuristic
I couldn’t really find/think of another name for this style. Although very similar to the modern style, the subtle tones of blue and pink tints are indicative of a futuristic setting. You see this mixture of colors often in social media filters (Tik Tok, Instagram), or movies set in a tech-filled futuristic cities. I think it gives a nice contrasting quality between warm and cold temperatures.
Special thanks to Hannah Park who was the model for these photos. You can follow her on Instagram as @hp_192 and also on Spotify where she has a song coincidently named “Light” under the name Sweet Rain.