My June 2015 Photo of the Month is Fingerprints, an image made at the Oceanside Festival of Color.
Fingerprints Background
I made this photograph for a meetup of the San Diego Photo Club. This is certainly not my usual kind of image, but I found the event to be fun and interesting enough. It only costs a couple dollars to get in. They tape off the areas where the color can be thrown, and because it is held in the Oceanside amphitheater, I was able to use a long lens and some distance to get a wider view of the action.
With a long lens, I was able to flatten the perspective and create a more intimate scene. The people in this image look close, but they probably cover 20 feet of floor space. The handprints on the back of both people was certainly a great start compositionally. It was made even better when some green color was thrown in the air.
I took so many images, more than I can really sort through. Many of the photographs have too many people doing different things. Its a mass of humanity, not a composed image. I was happy that this image seemed to come together.
This image was made late in the day. It is usually better to get there early. Many of the people who attend the entire time end up with a mix of all kinds of color. Eventually all that color mixes to a mushy brown. So, I was lucky with this composition.
I did appreciate the chance to get out and do something different. This photograph will certainly look unusual in my Photo of the Month Portfolio, but something unique is always nice.
As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the image.
T.M. Schultze is a San Diego-based photographer, traveller, and writer. He writes, photographs, and draws things of the outdoors that have inspired humans for thousands of years. He co-authored the Photographer’s Guide to Joshua Tree Park which can be purchased here.