Photography 1: The Art of Photography

Project: Colour Relationships.
Exercise: Colour Relationships.

This exercise was in two parts.  For the first part I produced one photograph for each combination of the primary and secondary colours, adjusting the distance, focal length or framing so the the proportions of each colour are as given in the list below:

• Red: green          1:1
• Orange: blue       1:2
• Yellow: violet        1:3

These ratios were first suggested by the German poet and playwright J W Von Goethe when he assigned the following values to the six colours: yellow 9, orange 8, red and green 6, blue 4 and violet 3.

For the second part of the exercise I produced three images which featured colour combinations that appealed to me.

The images for the first part of the exercise are given below:

Red : Green; 5057.jpg; Pentax *ist D; 18-55mm lens, F13; 1/125s

The red and green parts of this image are approximately in the ratio 1 : 1.

Orange : blue; 5047.jpg; Pentax *ist D; 18-55mm lens, F11; 1/180s

The orange and blue parts of this image are approximately in the ratio 1 : 2.

Yellow : violet; 5071.jpg; Pentax *ist D; 18-55mm lens, F13; 1/180s

The yellow and violet parts of this image are approximately in the ratio 1 : 3.

The images for the second part of the exercise are shown below:

Blue:Violet; 5058.jpg; Pentax *ist D; 18-55mm lens, F13; 1/90s

Although the blue and violet in this image are not complimentary colours the overall effect is quite pleasing as the colours are not vibrant but muted or sombre.  As the two colours lie close together on the colour wheel, they harmonise.

Blue : Violet; 5080.jpg; Pentax *ist D; 18-55mm lens, F19; 1/250s

Again the blue and violet in this image are not complimentary, but here the blue is more vibrant and there is less harmony in the image.  There is a certain amount of tension or conflict in the image due to the colours present.

Red : Blue; 5067.jpg; Pentax *ist D; 18-55mm lens, F13; 1/1000s

The red and blue in this image are almost opposite on the colour wheel and therefore naturally contrast well when used together.  This is because they are at the extremes of our colour perception.  Red is a very dominant colour, and blue is one of the most recessive.  A slight sense of unease is created in the image.  The presence of the blue colour plays its part by adding to the impact of the red.

What have I learned from this exercise?

The impact of colour in an image is all about the effect colour has on the viewer, which is often determined by the relationships between the colours themselves.  Colour relationships basically fall into two categories: harmonious colours and contrasting colours.

On the colour wheel, the colours that lie opposite one another, (yellow and blue, for example) will contrast, and colours that lie near to each other (like orange and yellow or blue and purple) will harmonise.

Setting a stark contrast between colours will create tension and conflict in a picture, while composing a scene with harmonising colours will encourage a feeling of harmony.

By using colours consciously you can change how the perspective appears in an image.  Warm shades of red, yellow and orange advance in the picture frame, for example, while cool shades of blue, green and cyan recede.  Using saturated warm and cold colours together gives bold contrast in a photograph.  For example, in an image of a red maple leaf against green moss, the red would advance and the green recede, making the leaf appear to jump out of the picture.  This high visual impact is used extensively in advertising to attract attention.

In comparison with the vitality of bold, saturated colours, muted, or de-saturated shades have a more subtle and calming effect in an image.  This is because of their restricted colour range, which can be used to convey many different moods.  Whereas bright colours seize the viewer's attention by being shocking, muted colours are more relaxing, evocative and atmospheric.