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Exploring the blues

ONE PHOTO, ONE STORY

In a series of stories named “One Photo, One Story” I will describe the picture and how it was done. Hopefully, this will inspire you when you are out taking photographs.

Exploring the Blues: A Riverside Café by the Seine

In the heart of Paris, nestled along the serene banks of the Seine, lies a small cosy café. This charming spot is also an opportunity to explore for photographers. The café’s outdoor seating, adorned with blue-tinted decoration is great to capture. The warm light from the light bulbs in the background helps bring colour contrast to the scenery and a warmer feeling. 

I have experienced through practice that colour photographs reach an extra level when a certain colour is repeated in the picture. Here blue is the main colour of interest.

Technical Tip: Setting the Right White Balance

To capture the true essence of these blues, setting the correct white balance is crucial. Here are a few tips other than letting the camera decide the white balance:

  1. Use the Daylight Setting: If you’re shooting during the golden hour, the daylight white balance setting (around 5200K) can help maintain the natural warmth of the scene.
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  3. Custom White Balance: For more precision, use a white or grey card to set a custom white balance. This ensures that the blues in your photos are accurately represented.
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  5. Adjust in Post-Processing: If you’re shooting in RAW, you have the flexibility to fine-tune the white balance during post-processing. This can be particularly useful if the lighting conditions change rapidly.
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  7. Experiment with Blue Hour: The blue hour, just after sunset, offers a unique light quality. Try setting your white balance to a cooler temperature (around 4000K) to enhance the blue tones.