We get it—pushing for bold colors in your imagery can be challenging and at times, scary. Today’s current trend in photography and design is to use muted tones, but one 500px community member is going the opposite way, sticking to a standout style that produces an exciting visual experience. Romania-based Bogdan Dreava works a lot with monochromatic themes and bright colors in his still-life pictures.
“After graduating college three years ago, I started taking photography more seriously,” Bogdan shares. “At first, I found still-images are limited and highly technical, but I started to simplify the process and experiment. The results are very rewarding and fun to create. I found myself at my most creative and happiest with still-life images.”
Just take a look at this image he created of blue items shot against a blue background.
“The main goal in my work is to create eye-catching images, using simple subjects and colors,” he reveals. “To achieve this technical feat must be very simple and not time-consuming, so I try to use natural light as much as possible. When natural light is not available, I use a strobe or continuous light with a big softbox for soft light.”
He keeps his equipment and post-processing workflow very minimal. “My camera is always on a tripod,” he explains. “I focus on making everything in-camera and use Photoshop as little as possible.”
Bogdan is also daring enough to pair bold colors together, even if they’re not necessarily what you consider complementary colors.
“I encourage every photographer to experiment with this genre, because you can test new lighting schemes, compositions, or color combinations, and then apply this to all your other projects. It’s a really simple and fun way to describe a situation or a new concept,” Bogdan advises us. “It’s important to simplify the technical process, and concentrate on your subject, composition, and colors. One tripod and one light source are enough to start experimenting. Enjoying the process is the most important thing.”
Below, we rounded up our favorite photos that he created to get the story behind his shots. Read on to find out his set-up, shooting techniques, and process!
“Fixing broken objects is not my specialty. To achieve this, I organized all the items against a light pink background. I used a defused natural light for soft shadows. This type of light helps to focus on shapes and details of the objects, even in a simple object, such as a clock.”
“In this image, I put an accent on the pattern, and decided that the background should be a bright blue for everything to stand out. I used a single strobe to create the harsh shadows. I simply shot only one envelope. Then I copied and pasted the rest in Photoshop.”
“Yellow thread spools over the same background is a simple color choice. So I tried to choose a center of interest in this picture. Using a metal circle thread is the perfect subject to break the monotony of the image. The saturated colors also help.”
Scroll down to get inspired with more of his incredible artistry:
To find more of his striking work, you can follow Bogdan on 500px or visit his website. He is also currently working on a new project called FugTiptil, where he documents his journey into learning the art of CGI.
Leave a reply