National Lipstick Day And You Thought It Was Just Red Lipstick
For National Lipstick Day, I thought I would look at lipstick from a photographer’s point of view.
We take lipstick color for granted. We see red lipstick and think, well, it is red. But at the professional level of photography, especially when photographing cosmetics and other products where color is part of what is being sold, “red” is nowhere near precise enough.
The color in the photograph has to accurately match the actual color created by the manufacturer. That means color accuracy becomes serious business.
It starts with lighting. The color temperature of the light needs to be known, consistent and reliable. Then there is white balance and comparison against a known color reference, like the color chart you see in my photograph. The monitor used for evaluating and retouching the image must also be properly calibrated so that what I am seeing is actually what the image contains.
And then there is the photographic equipment itself. The camera, sensor and lenses all contribute to how accurately and precisely color is recorded. At the professional level, image quality is not simply about sharpness. The quality and accuracy of the color palette matters too.
All of those pieces have to work together from the moment the photograph is shot through the final processed image.
And you thought it was just red lipstick.
You can see more of my photography, projects, motion, and my Blog on my website at https://www.secondfocus.com
Thank You!
National Ice Cream Day: The Drumstick Might Be My Favorite
Today is National Ice Cream Day. I am not really a big ice cream person, but I do have a favorite. I think it might be the Drumstick.
It has everything I want. Ice cream in a cone, covered in chocolate and peanuts. And of course, that chocolate at the bottom of the cone. I don’t know who decided that was necessary, but they were right.
The original Drumstick goes back to 1928, when brothers I.C. and J.T. Parker created it in Fort Worth, Texas. One of the challenges with a prepackaged ice cream cone was keeping the cone from getting soggy. The solution was chocolate, used as a barrier between the ice cream and the cone. Almost a century later, there are all kinds of flavors and variations, but give me the original and I am happy.
For the photograph, one Drumstick was obviously not going to be enough. So I bought a box of them, piled them up, and photographed them against my very black black background.
I happen to really like this photograph. Then again, I really like what I photographed.
Today seems like a good day to go get another one.
You can see more of my photography, projects, motion, and my Blog on my website at https://www.secondfocus.com
Thank You!
Hasselblad Shooting Rolleiflex
Using the new Hasselblad X1DII camera to shoot an old vintage Rolleiflex camera. Lens was the Hasselblad XCD 3.5 120mm with Broncolor F160 LED lighting. Shot handheld at Camera West in Rancho Mirage CA.
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