Ron Bigelow Photography Articles
How to Use Color To Create Powerful Photos
by Ron Bigelow
Color is one of the most obvious elements of composition. Everyone knows that intense colors make people take notice of your images. Ever wonder why there are so many sunset and flower shots? Color is the reason.
When properly used in images, color performs two functions. First, color draws peoples' attention. This is a very powerful and direct affect. On the other hand, the second function of color in an image is a bit more sophisticated. The second function of color is to set the mood in an image. Since color plays such an important part in creating successful images, we should learn to use both functions of color to create dynamic images.
Color Draws Attention
The use of color to grab the viewer's attention is fairly simple. The color will quickly grab the attention of anyone viewing the image and will focus the attention on the area of the color. The color will also serve to hold the viewer's attention. If the viewer does look elsewhere in the image, the color will draw the attention back to the area of color.
There are two ways in which color can be used to draw the viewer's attention. One way is to use bold, saturated colors. This is what we see in sunset photos. The other way that color can be used is by exploiting contrasting colors. When two or more colors contrast, the viewer's eye is quickly drawn to the contrasting area. This is often what we see in fall color images where there may be a mix of yellow, orange, and red leaves that create a dramatic scene.
Color and Mood
Color and mood go hand in hand. While the use of color to set mood is a bit more sophisticated than just using bold colors, it is just as powerful.
The key to using color to set the mood is that different colors bring out different moods in people. Now, there are a lot of different colors. Obviously, we can not cover all of the colors in a short article. Rather, we will review a few of the most important colors to show how these colors affect a viewer's mood.
Blue
Blue is a soothing color. It produces a feeling of calm or cold. This is how we see blue in nature. We see the calm blue of a deep ocean or a peaceful sky. We also can see blue in large chunks of ice. So, if we want to create a feeling of calm in an image, we should include blue in the image. Thus, we could include blue objects such as a peaceful bluish stream or lake.
Green
Green is tied to feelings of lushness and vibrancy. Again, this comes from how we experience the color in nature such as when we see a beautiful spring meadow or garden. Landscape photographers use green a lot to capture the mood of spring. We can do the same by including green meadows, fields, and vegetation in our images.
Yellow, Orange, and Red
The last colors to be evaluated are the warm tones: yellow, orange, and red. These colors are associated with feelings of warmth and comfort (again the colors are tied to how we experience them in nature). Sunsets are a perfect example of how these warm colors create a comfortable feeling. When we wish to take advantage of these colors to create a feeling of comfort in our images, we can include objects such as flowers, plants, food, and rocks that contain these colors.
Light
Using colored objects in an image is not the only way to use color to create mood in an image. Another method uses light that has a colorcast. This type of light occurs most often at both ends of the day and can be used to create beautiful images. Just before sunrise and after sunset, a soft, bluish light is often casted over the terrain. This is a perfect time for creating images that communicate calm and peace (such as an early morning shot of an isolated tree on the edge of a cliff that border s the ocean).
Shortly after sunrise and before sunset, the light displays the warm tones of yellow, red, and orange. This light is excellent for creating a sensation of warmth and comfort such as when we view a distant mountain range glowing in the last few minutes of the light before the sun dives below the horizon.
In Summary
When properly utilized, color can be one of the most effective methods of grabbing attention and conveying mood in an image.
If you would like to learn even more about the use of color in photographic composition, please check out Ron's full length advanced composition article at Advanced Composition. Want to learn more about taking powerful images? Visit Ron's free site at Ron Bigelow Photography to learn the skills that you can use to become a great photographer.
Color Draws Attention
The use of color to grab the viewer's attention is fairly simple. The color will quickly grab the attention of anyone viewing the image and will focus the attention on the area of the color. The color will also serve to hold the viewer's attention. If the viewer does look elsewhere in the image, the color will draw the attention back to the area of color.
There are two ways in which color can be used to draw the viewer's attention. One way is to use bold, saturated colors. This is what we see in sunset photos. The other way that color can be used is by exploiting contrasting colors. When two or more colors contrast, the viewer's eye is quickly drawn to the contrasting area. This is often what we see in fall color images where there may be a mix of yellow, orange, and red leaves that create a dramatic scene.
Color and Mood
Color and mood go hand in hand. While the use of color to set mood is a bit more sophisticated than just using bold colors, it is just as powerful.
The key to using color to set the mood is that different colors bring out different moods in people. Now, there are a lot of different colors. Obviously, we can not cover all of the colors in a short article. Rather, we will review a few of the most important colors to show how these colors affect a viewer's mood.
Blue
Blue is a soothing color. It produces a feeling of calm or cold. This is how we see blue in nature. We see the calm blue of a deep ocean or a peaceful sky. We also can see blue in large chunks of ice. So, if we want to create a feeling of calm in an image, we should include blue in the image. Thus, we could include blue objects such as a peaceful bluish stream or lake.
Green
Green is tied to feelings of lushness and vibrancy. Again, this comes from how we experience the color in nature such as when we see a beautiful spring meadow or garden. Landscape photographers use green a lot to capture the mood of spring. We can do the same by including green meadows, fields, and vegetation in our images.
Yellow, Orange, and Red
The last colors to be evaluated are the warm tones: yellow, orange, and red. These colors are associated with feelings of warmth and comfort (again the colors are tied to how we experience them in nature). Sunsets are a perfect example of how these warm colors create a comfortable feeling. When we wish to take advantage of these colors to create a feeling of comfort in our images, we can include objects such as flowers, plants, food, and rocks that contain these colors.
Light
Using colored objects in an image is not the only way to use color to create mood in an image. Another method uses light that has a colorcast. This type of light occurs most often at both ends of the day and can be used to create beautiful images. Just before sunrise and after sunset, a soft, bluish light is often casted over the terrain. This is a perfect time for creating images that communicate calm and peace (such as an early morning shot of an isolated tree on the edge of a cliff that border s the ocean).
Shortly after sunrise and before sunset, the light displays the warm tones of yellow, red, and orange. This light is excellent for creating a sensation of warmth and comfort such as when we view a distant mountain range glowing in the last few minutes of the light before the sun dives below the horizon.
In Summary
When properly utilized, color can be one of the most effective methods of grabbing attention and conveying mood in an image.
If you would like to learn even more about the use of color in photographic composition, please check out Ron's full length advanced composition article at Advanced Composition. Want to learn more about taking powerful images? Visit Ron's free site at Ron Bigelow Photography to learn the skills that you can use to become a great photographer. 