Color Crazy

Creating beautiful images is my passion. Having the opportunity to take some of those images and dust them with a little extra magic is just outright fun. I have always loved the look of those heirloom black and white photos that were painstakingly hand colored. Adding a rosy cheek to a sweet-faced toddler or bringing the color back to the petals of a rose, turned those early images into something extra special. It took a steady hand and an artistic eye, but when done right, those images were showstoppers.

Digital colorization still needs that steady hand and some serious restraint. It is all too easy to get carried away with what you can do, but it is important to remember some basic concepts so you don't 'overdo'. The eye is going to be drawn to the element that is most vivid in the image. In a standard image you’ll see the lightest elements first. In a high key or very light image, you’ll be drawn to the darker elements. And, in a black and white image, the eye will be drawn to color. That is why it is important to consider the composition when selecting which colors to ‘reveal’. Try not to let the color lessen the impact of the image. Use it to enhance the overall feeling and then sit back and enjoy the results. Here are a couple of my favorites from the last year. Let me know what you think.