Colour and photography – why does it matter?

Colour and photography go hand in hand.   Colour is everywhere but do we actually notice it?

One of the most obvious but often not prominent element of photography is colour.  In reality, we are surrounded by it but how often do we actually take real notice of it? Stop reading this blog for a moment and just look around you. As a result, what colours can you appreciate?  Imagine it is this pile of logs below.  If you look closer at the various different shades of brown, white, orange and black, what can you discover? In other words, have an experiment and see.

a pile of logs stacked up

Why is colour important?

Colour helps to create mood, express feelings and absolutely bring home the story behind the photo.  Moreover, if your colour composition is just right it can, if the truth be told, complete a photo.  One of the easiest ways to do this is to look at the colours in the scene.  Each colour elicits a different meaning which can be the interpreted by the viewer.  Just imagine for a minute your favourite colour too.  How do you feel when you wear it? Ordinarily, it’s just the same as that!

What does it all mean?

To roughly summarise the meaning of colours to help you during your photography consider this:

Black = power, strength, authority or classic

White = fresh, pure, innocence or clean

Orange= earthy, rich, grounding or trustworthy

Purple = royal, wealth, wisdom or magic

Blue = calm, trust, loyalty or peace

Yellow = happiness, joy, energy or joy

Red = respect, warmth, feminine or sensitive

Green = growth, reassurance, balance or safety

Colour brought to life!

Furthermore, take a look at a few of my favourite photos below, different colours, different story….

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