In this article we are going to see how you can improve your photographs using color. I am going to tell you some basic concepts so that you can situate yourself and understand how it can influence your photography and to what extent. But I promise to explain it to you as simply as possible and get to the point.
Now, I assure you that if you use this information when composing your images, you will achieve a change. Color is a powerful tool that you have (and for free) to conquer the viewer’s gaze. Stop complaining because you don’t have your dream camera or the most desired lens and learn what really matters π .
Before continuing, I recommend you delve into the Photographic composition and learn all the essential tips and tricks through this mega guide that we have prepared for you.
What are the properties of color?
Color has its own parameters or properties. The most used in photography are hue, saturation and brightness.
- tone or tint It is actually the quality that gives each color the name by which it is known. That is, we call color what is actually the tone. Blue is a tone, for example.
- Saturation. Saturation is the intensity of a color and its minimum value is a neutral gray, so when we desaturate in an editor it becomes gray.
- Brightness. It is the property that determines whether a color is dark or light.
the color wheel
Primary colors
There are three primary colors that, as you almost certainly know, are yellow, blue and red. They are the colors that cannot be achieved by mixing any other color.
Secondary colours
Secondary colors (green, orange and violet) emerge from the 1:1 ratio of the primary colors.
Tertiary colors
Mixing a primary color with a secondary color results in a tertiary color (reddish orange, teal, etc.).
Color wheel with primary, secondary and tertiary colors.
Cold and warm colors, what should you know?
In addition to the typical things you learned at school about what cold colors or warm colors were and what they represented, when composing your images you should know that:
- Cool colors zoom out and reduce the size of elements.
- Warm colors zoom in and increase the size of objects.
Harmony and color in the composition
The way colors are combined can cause very different sensations. In photography, we look for harmony in images and this can come in different ways, either through contrast (complementary colors) or by similarity with analogous colors.
Complementary colors
They are those that are in opposite positions on the color wheel, for example: red and green.
Harmony through complementary colors is based on contrast and the effect it provokes, in addition, in reality, the mixture of two opposites in the circle gives rise to a neutral. But keep in mind that using the contrast of complementary in an image works very well.
Complementary colors
Now let’s look at an image where two complementary colors are used.
analogous colors
They are those that are in the same area of ββββthe chromatic circle. The harmony between similar colors is more evident and is very pleasing to the eye.
analogous colors
In the following image you can see an example of what we are talking about.
color triads
Another way to achieve a harmonious combination is to choose the colors arranged at the vertices of an equilateral triangle within the color wheel. The ideal is to choose a dominant color, another that supports and a last one that makes contrast.
color triad
This three-color combination is similar to the one depicted in this photograph. The dominant would be violet, green as support and golden yellow to contrast.
monochrome
Another option that we must not forget is monochrome, which although we associate it with black and white, in reality monochrome is a single color. That is, include a single color or shade with different tints or shades in the frame.
monochrome
The image below is a good example of monochrome photography.
color proportions
Colors harmonize better when there is a Balance of pesos, that is, when their areas are inversely proportional to their relative brightness. This is, for example, that since green and red are equally bright, they harmonize better when their ratio is 1:1, or what is the same, they have the same presence in the image.
On the other hand, since orange is twice as bright as blue, the ratio should ideally be 1:2 (orange:blue).
Since yellow and violet are at the two extremes of brightness, 1:3 is the best match. Let’s see an example.
Color psychology
Each color evokes different emotions and is a resource that you can use to awaken the feeling you want in the public. This is used a lot in the cinema, if you are a movie buff you will have already realized how color can to direct a scene or even an entire movie. If you are curious to see what palettes have been used in certain movies, you can see on Twitter the posts of @CINEMAPALETTES .
Let’s see, very briefly, what each color conveys so that you can use it to your advantage when including it in your photography. Because a good composition accompanied by an emotion is a round result.
- Yellow: it is so bright that there is no dark version of this color. It transmits verve, joy, optimism and kindness. In its negative part, aggressiveness, jealousy and envy. When you combine it with black it contrasts very well, but on the other hand, it indicates a certain sign of danger (it is the combination used to indicate toxic or explosive substances).
- Orange: It is associated with youth, parties, celebrations and fun. It is also suitable for conveying dryness and evoking warmth.
- Red: transmits action and movement, it is the most energetic and exciting colour. In the foreground it emphasizes the sensation of depth because it tends to advance. It evokes passion and also aggression or risk.
- Green: all its positive symbolism comes from the fact that it is the most present color in nature. It is associated with progress and hope, with vigor and rejuvenation, but also in its negative form with illness or decay. If it contains more yellow than blue it is warmer and, conversely, colder.
- Blue: It is the coldest color and is associated with calm and rest, as well as freshness and lightness. It implies distance. If it wears some yellow or red it becomes warmer (remember sunrises and sunsets). It is a color that is associated with security and trust, which is why many health companies use it.
- Violet: the complement of yellow is a difficult color to find and very easily confused with purple. It is associated with wealth and sumptuousness, mystery and immensity, while purple is more associated with religions, power and violence.
- White: with white you will be evoking innocence, kindness, love, space, etc…
- Black: evokes elegance and power. On its negative side, it reminds of sadness and bad luck, as well as being associated with death.
- Gray: it is a neutral color that is perceived darker or lighter depending on what colors surround it. It evokes indifference and insecurity.
Keep in mind that colors are perceived differently depending on what other colors are nearby. A yellow color will never transmit the same or be perceived in the same way if it is accompanied by an orange than if it is next to a black.
Let’s see an example with two red plants, but with different backgrounds, what does one transmit to you and what does the other transmit to you?
last notes
Now that you know how to create harmony with contrast or with analogous colors, etc., in addition to knowing the emotional implications of different colors, I am going to leave you with a few more notes so that you can master color in your compositions.
- Color distracts due to its power of communication, so the more colors you include in the frame, the more difficult it will be to maintain balance or harmony, and the more they will lose the message. Better include one or two colors, at most three.
- It is very effective to combine a dominant color with its complementary.
- You can also play with contrast by introducing a warm color into a cool color scene, or vice versa.
- Placing a warm color in the foreground is interpreted as proximity.
- Red is a color with a strong appeal, as long as you include it in the frame it will attract a lot of attention.
- To add depth, place a warm color in the foreground, neutrals in the middle, and blue or white in the background.
Practical exercise
Before saying goodbye, I leave you a series of photographs so that you can observe them and try to find out how they have used color when composing them. What do they transmit and what relationship does color have with these sensations.
And here is today’s article. I hope that it has been useful to you and that next time, before composing a photo, take color into account. If you liked it, please, do not forget to share it on your favorite social network after giving it a “Like”, so we will know what content interests you to continue creating new ones.