The theme of this month’s Readers Photo Challenge is the color purple.
It is often associated with royalty, nobility, luxury and power. Purple is a secondary color, meaning it is the combination of the two primary colors red and blue and its hue depends on how much of each color is present.
The color palette ranges from lavender and lilac to violet or deep burgundy and many other shades.
There are several ways to photograph each color.
You can use one color as the main color that takes up most of the scene. Or you can use it as an accent in a sea of other colors. You can also combine complementary or contrasting colors to make each color stand out. These techniques can help you draw attention to the main subject of your image and emphasize it.
Flowers and plants can be a rich source of purple.
Lavender, lilacs, verbena and others are great examples, some of which can be found as wildflowers while others can be found in landscaping or gardens in our homes. You can photograph them where they grow or you can cut them and put them in vases and photograph them indoors.
Readers take on the challenge of photographing water
Try photographing the flowers in backlight or with light coming from behind. This will make the thin petals practically glow in color and add the perfect accents to your photos.
There are several fruits and vegetables that are purple. Plums, prunes, acai berries, and eggplant are all purple. There are also purple variations of vegetables that you wouldn’t normally associate with this color – purple cauliflower, carrots, asparagus, tomatoes, and potatoes.
The color purple can be seen at sunsets, but not during the so-called “golden hour” when the sun is still in the sky.
Between the end of the golden glow and the “blue hour,” when dusk begins, the sky can turn to pink and purple hues. This doesn’t last long, sometimes just a few minutes, so you need to be prepared and act quickly when it happens.
My late grandmother’s favorite color was purple.
I always picture her happy in her purple sweater. Purple can be used as a main color or as an accent color in clothing, especially in sports uniforms. High school football games are starting soon, so if purple is one of your team’s colors, feel free to photograph it.
How to participate
1. Photos must be taken between August 20th and September 3rd.
2. Include your name (first and last), your hometown, the type of equipment used, and the location where the photo was taken (e.g.: John Doe from Stockton, Canon 5D Mk IV. Victory Park, Stockton).
3. If there is one or more recognizable people in the photo, please identify them (name, age, hometown) and describe what is happening in the photo. Please indicate if and how these people are related to you (friend, mother, father, daughter, son, etc.). Example: “My son John Jr., 6, holds a purple rose in Victory Park in Stockton.”
4. Feel free to tell us interesting anecdotes or stories about the photo being taken.
5. The number of photos is limited to 10.
6. Entries can be sent via email to [email protected]. The preferred format is jpeg. Enter “Purple” in the subject line.
7. The deadline for entries is September 3rd. The top selections will be published in the September 10th issue of the Record. An online gallery of all photos will be available the same day on recordnet.com.
8. First, second and third place winners will receive 16×20, 11×14 and 8×10 prints respectively from UlmerPhoto in Stockton. Additionally, first place will receive a $25 gift card to a local restaurant.
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