A Personal Photo Challenge - Colorful

It’s time for A Personal Photo Challenge! “Colorful” is the theme this month. I had the best of intentions of taking some new images for this challenge, but the task couldn't get worked into my schedule. So I dipped into my photo archives from our relaxing trip to Charleston, South Carolina, the week before Christmas.

My blogging friends and routine followers know that I have very limited time these days to devote to hobbies and social media. At the moment, I am the caregiver for my husband, who has been battling pancreatic cancer for the past year. The disease has been very unkind the past two months. I will get around to visit with the other photo challenge participants as best as I can and fulfill my challenge hostess duties. It may take a while, so please be patient with me. I wasn’t even sure I could participate in my own challenge this month. But I managed to pull together some images and this post. Whew!

I modified my post-processing techniques after I had cataract surgery last year. Now, I purposely strive to improve white balance, color clarity, and vibrancy. All of these goals came in to play during the digital editing of this window box scene. The details and contrast were bumped up to highlight the texture of the red shutters and the antique glass in the window. I would normally use a polarizing filter on a lens to minimize reflective glare. But in this case, I wanted to emphasize the wavy, hand-rolled glass as part of the composition.

French-style window box

f/13,1/60 second, ISO 320

The street scene below looks like it was captured in a European city. But astute fans of Southern character should recognize the classic Charleston Battery Bench. (We bought a bench during our first trip to Charleston, way back in the 1980s, and it has faithfully served us well over the years.) In post-processing I enhanced the image detail to give the photo an old-world feel and also allow the colorful paint hues to sing.

colorful homes along East Bay Street

f/14, 1/160 second, ISO 320

When one thinks of Charleston, you can’t help but be reminded of iconic Rainbow Row, a series of historic houses noted for their cheerful colors. The buildings are located on East Bay Street, between Tradd and Elliot Streets. It’s an impossible task to photograph the buildings without including a multitude of vehicles and pedestrians. So this image’s composition is limited to the upper part of two buildings, showcasing the contrasting colors.

along Rainbow Row

f/10, 1/800 second, ISO 320

I hope you will visit A Personal Photo Challenge blog and check out the creative efforts of other participants too!