The Power of Color – Part 1

Have you ever considered what the world would be like without color?  Think about it.  I mean, I like a really good and strong black and white image just as much as the next photographer, but there really is something about good color images that draws you in!  Color injects a sort of life, energy, and emotion into an image that sometimes cannot be easily explained. Or… can it?

I’ve got news for you: The colors of an image can indeed be explained.  Allow me to introduce you to one of the classic elements of visual art – color theory – as it pertains to the photographic medium.

As an art educator, color theory is my most favorite element of visual art to teach.  Color affects, impacts and informs our visual satisfactions incredibly despite the fact that it is very much taken for granted.  Could you imagine a world without the color green?  How about without the color red?  Seriously, look around and take note of how different the world might be without a certain color.   Just the same, we all take color very much for granted.  I’m here to tell you that it matters and it’s important and if you regard it as an essential element of your photography, it can and will transform your images.

Let’s take a look at colors just as they are. All colors (or hues, as they are also known) originate from a primary palette that is made up of red, yellow, and blue.

By mixing any two of the primary hues, you get a secondary palette made up of orange, green, and purple.

One more step down from the secondary palette is the tertiary palette that is achieved by mixing secondary colors with primary colors.  There are six tertiary colors that are named things like red-orange, yellowish-green, and blueish-purple but I’m only going to show you three of them here.

All of these colors together complete the color wheel as it is known in all of it’s RoyGBiv glory (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet) less the tertiary palette.

The color wheel is also divided into two groupings comprised of three hues each called analogous groups.  Analogous groups are found on the same side of the color wheel and they have similar visual characteristics and impacts.  The warm analogous group is comprised of red, orange, and yellow…

Colors in this group are commonly associated with fire and warmth (hence the name) and their visual impact is one makes them appear closer to the viewer than they actually might be.  Warm colors also affect viewer physiologically by increasing their pulse rate and metabolism and “firing” them up (if you will).  Ever notice how many restaurants use red and/or yellow in their visual brands/logos?  That is their way of inspiring a hunger that will in turn beg to be satiated.  Warm colors also expand visually toward someone – so, they will feel as if they are coming at you – versus cool analogous colors that will always appear like they are pushing back or moving away from the viewer.

Cool colors do the opposite of warm colors by physiologically imparting a feeling of tranquility and calmness within the viewer.  Cool colors  visually push back from the viewer, they will appear larger and more vast naturally.  This is the reason why the sky (if it is of a cool palette) will appear so big and with such depth or why fields of green grass will appear so expansive in front of you.

Now, let’s get down to how all of these things apply to visual art and most specifically the photographic medium.

When you utilize the colors grouped as aforementioned, your visual artwork,whether photographic or not, will automatically convey a visual harmony.  This isn’t to say that getting the colors right will completely balance your image but more that you could have an image with everything else right – competition, correct use of space, etc. – and still have an image that somehow looks “off” simply because the colors did not adhere to their rules of their own organization.  That being said, the color groupings above were essentially made for one another so when you use them in that way, you end up with images that have wonderful visual balance especially considering how strong colors can impact someone’s visual experience.

I’ve culled some images from my image library to demonstrate the color groupings that I have already mentioned.  First off, there is the primary grouping. Normally, the primary group is used in only specific circumstances that of which usually pertain to a scholastic/elementary type quality.  Illustrations of alphabet blocks are typically illustrated in red, blue, and yellow and a popular color palette for children’s bedrooms are commonly primary colors.  Still, it is possible to use these colors without it totally feeling school-like.

Are you seeing the red, blue, and yellow (or at least gold) within the frame of the image? (I saturated the colors slightly to bring the primary color palette to the forefront.)  Not so bad for primary colors, eh?  The image does indeed have a natural visual balance to it, right?

OK, let’s look at a secondary palette now.  Remember that’s orange, green, and purple.

We’ve got orange in the leaves and tint of her skin and dress, there’s green grass, and purple suggestion with the bright tights as well as in the iris of her eyes.  This isn’t a very popular color palette – typically orange, purple, and green are the least popular colors of the color spectrum on the whole – but this image has visual balance because it keeps to one color grouping (the secondary one) pretty well.

Finally, the tertiary hues…

Are you seeing the blueish purples, greens and golden orange tones?  All of them balance each other out because they are within the same color family.  If your subject is wearing a certain color, try and find an environment/background where the color they are wearing will interact and/or match well.

What about if the color you have just seems to blend itself in with everything around it?  No problem!  Remember that’s working within the analogous (like-looking) hues.  Keeping to one side of the color wheel absolutely can work.  Here is the warm side of the color wheel with reds, oranges, and yellows. (Note that there are some cool hues represented but the dominant colors are warm.)

Let’s not forget the cool side of the color wheel with greens, blues, and purples.

Though there are many groupings to choose from, if you are a fan of every color – it’s ALWAYS completely OK to use them all and offer a full picture of the whole spectrum.

The really neat thing about using all of the colors is that you will automatically create an image with an appearance that is completely harmonized and balanced since every color is there and accounted for.  Some people shy away from using the whole color wheel because they fear it will automatically give their image a rainbow feel to it.  Not so!  Note that every color is represented in the above image (even if it’s just a touch of a certain color) but it does not have a rainbow quality to it.  Truly, the only way an image will really feel rainbow-like is if the colors are presented in rainbow order – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple.  If you rearrange and displace the colors but still use them within the frame of your image, you don’t have to worry about your viewer seeing only a rainbow and missing the rest of the picture.

Is it fair to say I’ve covered an immense amount about color theory?  I think this is enough for now but I hope you’ve learned a little more about how the presence of color can be a really powerful tool versus an unnecessary waste that only gets in the way of a photograph.  Consider what I’ve discussed and think about your favorite images and what colors/color combinations they have within them.  I bet you will find that many of them adhere to their natural color groupings though you never realized it.  Also, if ever you are looking at your own work and feel like you have an image that seems like it should work but somehow doesn’t, evaluate the color palette you used. it could be the very thing that gives that image you’ve only really liked  enough punch to make it the image you absolutely LOVE.

Next time, I will discuss more ways to utilize color combinations correctly.  I will talk about specific color combinations as they pertain to complementary pairings as well as touch upon the physiological effects of color and why some hues are more appropriate than others for certain types of images.  Part two of this posting will go live next week on October 28th so “save the date” for that.  Until then, grab your cameras and create some images using your favorite color groupings as discussed so far.   Show me what colors you like best and post them in the comments below.  Be BOLD and behold the power that is color theory!