Am I the only one who actually likes the "blown out" look?

[ltilley]

Sebastian posted a great photo of a flower girl with the background all blown out (in the wedding photos thread). I loved it. And I took this photo detail of the bride's hair and veil and love how the background is blown out.

Something about it makes it feel dream-like.

Funny, too because when I got the pictures back from my photographer for my wedding, I chose one picture to be enlarged for a frame. It was great - I was entering the church and everything around me was blown out. And sure enough, he enlarged the photo but *fixed* the blown out areas and I was so disappointed.

Are there others out there who actually like the look?

[Liz]

I like the "blown out" look when it is done right and looks like yours! Do you also post process? If so, what?

Thanks for sharing it - good point that is seldom discussed in a positive way.

Liz

Sebastian posted a great photo of a flower girl with the background all blown out (in the wedding photos thread). I loved it. And I took this photo detail of the bride's hair and veil and love how the background is blown out.

Something about it makes it feel dream-like.

Funny, too because when I got the pictures back from my photographer for my wedding, I chose one picture to be enlarged for a frame. It was great - I was entering the church and everything around me was blown out. And sure enough, he enlarged the photo but *fixed* the blown out areas and I was so disappointed.

Are there others out there who actually like the look?

[ltilley]

Thanks Liz, actually I just desaturated it. I'm still looking at the "best" ways to convert photos to black and white.

I was exposing for the hair, and the rest just blew out.

Funny, I realize that most times the blown out look is distracting... but so many times I love it.

[Asylum Steve]

Are there others out there who actually like the look?

Obviously there are. And as many of us have discovered, the more experienced you get with photography, and the more you are willing to try to break the rules technically and stylistically, the more you can appreciate things like this.

As for your print, I think it's just normal for the photographer (or photo finisher, depending on who made the print) to try to make the image look "correct" for you, as the average person might not "get" the stylishly blown-out look.

If it means that much to you, you should try to have another print made, and be clear that you don't want it retouched to "fix" the blown-out areas...

[Sebastian]

Itilley,

Thanks for those kind words. I do have to say though, I think this image would benefit from having the right edge f the veil visible. My eye just keeps drifting out of the frame. Maybe if you put a frame around it it would be more contained?

[ltilley]

Sebastian... I do agree with that. I thought about cropping it tighter. I might do that.

[adina]

Depends on the photo. This one I like, but sometimes I get a little girl in a white dress, and in that case, I like to see the details in the dress.

[Asylum Steve]

This one I like, but sometimes I get a little girl in a white dress, and in that case, I like to see the details in the dress...

Adina, I think what we're talking about here is blowing out the background of a shot, and keeping detail in the main subject.

Now a high key image (where you go for high overall brightness with low contrast) often blows out other elements of the shot (such as clothing). That, too, is an acquired taste...

[spenser]

blown out backgrounds are one of my favorite things.

[tink]

I too love a blown out look if it's done right...

Here is a blown out look that I like

http://static.flickr.com/68/178855741_5bb673e134.jpg

ps I love yours!