Use of Colour In Photography – A street vendor in Thailand selling freshly squeezed orange juice had his fruit already cut in half and ready for thirsty customers. The rich colour was too tempting in the midday sun and the knife blade added the perfect contrast and focus to the shot. The trick here was to frame tightly so the oranges dominated the picture.
GET CREATIVE WITH COLOUR IN PHOTOGRAPHY | Darrin Henry
So, colour in photography, why does that need its own special mention? Each time I do, Sharon argues “colour photography is just, photography,” what am I making a fuss about?
There’s A Reward On Offer
Although photography was born in black and white; colour soon followed, but it’s been around so long now that today few people see it as something special. We live and experience the world in colour; it’s normal and in turn I think this means we now take the humble colour photo for granted.
The Facebook age swamps us in a sea of point and shoot imagery, most times with little thought to photographic principles and as a consequence we overlook how interesting colours could be. Not to mention a rewarding experience when it’s done well.
How To Make Better Use of Colour In Photography – Once you begin to be more aware of colours around you then ideas for creative photography kick in. These blue doors along Portobello Road, London, needed a little contrast to set them off and Sharon had obviously gotten the ‘wear colour’ memo that morning! Pink, yellow, purple and blue – not holding anything back with this one.
Black and white photography has taken occupancy of the snobbish high ground, constantly linked with words like ‘classic’ and ‘arty.’
But colour can be arty and classic – why not? With a little care it’s not too difficult to turn everyday ‘pics’ into awesome colour photography. There are opportunities everywhere bursting with colour content, we just need to look a little more closely.
Here are a few tips and ideas for injecting some colour pop into your pictures.
Use of Colour In Photography, Tip 1 – Planning
Include colour in your photography planning.
In other words, the first stage is usually spotting the shot, ie a beautiful flower, impressive architecture or a shiny, sleek sports car. Hopefully you normally then plan an angle; crouching low or jumping onto a bench for a good viewpoint.
But now, include a colour check in your planning – what are the colours in the shot? How do they catch the light or contrast with a change of angle? How does one colour line up against the other?
Making Better Use of Colour In Photography – The flame of the 2015 PanAmerican Games in Toronto, Canada. Although the torch holder looked amazing it was surrounded by tall buildings which made a side view rather cluttered. To make this shot work it meant getting up under the torch as close as possible and shooting upwards against the clear blue sky.
Use of Colour In Photography, Tip 2 – Choose Domination
Colours that blend together easily are more suited to colour photography. Similar shades or block colours that dominate a scene are less suited to black and white. Non contrasting colours, eg blue, green and red dominating a frame tend to work better in colour.
Making Better Use of Colour In Photography – This explosive orange burst comes from isolating the colour as well as changing the angle. Shooting this flower from above gave very ordinary results, but lying down in the grass at ‘eye level’ so to speak, the gorgeous colour just pops into life.
Making Better Use of Colour In Photography – This blue Land Rover parked alongside a shipping container of similar colour is a good example of strong block colours working well. Moving in close to fill the frame with blue made this picture work.
Use of Colour In Photography, Tip 3 – Isolation Is Good
Isolate colours within your composition. Try to simplify the colour combinations in the same frame. A bold colour against a drab background gives good colour pop. When the subject is defined by its colour, flowers for instance or the fabric of a dress, try to isolate the object against a neutral background.
Use of Colour In Photography – The neutral background colour here was just right to frame the red parasol against. The patterns in the paving tiles and table tops as well as the lines and shapes all contribute to give the shot an interesting texture.
Making Use of Colour In Photography – The monks in Southeast Asia wear these striking orange robes. In the Angkor Wat temple the open courtyards made for a natural, well lit, photography space. In this situation when you can visualise how the colours will contrast it’s a case of pick your spot then wait.
Use of Colour In Photography, Tip 4 – Shoot With The Shadows
Finally, as a general rule when outdoors, shoot early or late in the day; avoid the two to three hours either side of midday. If you read our post about why shadows are key to great landscape photography, this might help. It’s also worth keeping in mind that lighter colours tend to ‘blow out’ in stronger light, so more reason to choose the time of day carefully.
This large hook was hanging off a steam derrick at Steamtown in Scranton, Pennsylvannia. The bright yellow triggered an immediate colour alert and then it was a case of circling around to find an angle that worked. Early morning light was key to making this picture work – bright colours such as this yellow is likely to blow out with stronger midday light, a good reason to shoot early.
For the perfect morning of colour photography it’s hard to beat the architecture of the French Quarter in New Orleans, USA. The decorators here are not shy about expressing themselves with colours; every building it seems is a work of art.
As always, don’t get blinkered by the rules – experiment and go against conventional thinking when it feels right; this is just a base to build on. Hopefully you’ve been inspired to pay more attention to colour in your pictures. You may also want to check out our tips and guidelines on how to shoot good black and white photography if that’s more your thing.
We’d be interested to know which style you prefer.
Good luck.
Making Better Use of Colour In Photography – Peas and corn! Doesn’t get any better for fresh, vibrant colour contrasts. The macro lens came in handy here to get up close. There are plenty of creative ideas for colour photography in and around the house.
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