Photography: Over Simplified Color Theory

Color theory is the composition of color in your photos. Certain colors work really well together while others look like a flaming hot mess when put together, and instead of reading an hour long article about color theory I'm here to over simplify it. I'm going to be using a reference sheet, (shown below), to show you color theory so note that I did not create this information and I highly recommend checking it out.

How to choose the Color Palette for a Website by Printrest

1. Know what each color signifies

Red: Love, Energy, Intensity

Yellow: Joy, Intellect, Attention

Green: Freshness, Safety, Growth

Blue: Stability, Trust, Serenity

Purple: Royalty, Wealth, Femininity

2. Match colors with its neighbors

Orange will work well with red and yellow and blue will work well with indigo and violet.

3. Clash colors with complementary colors

Colors from the opposite side of the wheel or close to the opposite side will complement each other. Colors like blue and yellow compliment each other as well as green and red.

4. Split contrasting colors

If your colors are contrasting to violently, you can split the contrasting color into two different colors. If red and green is to much, try splitting the green into two different complementary colors like lime green and sky blue.

Introduction to the Color Wheel by Life of an Architect

5. Vary using double complimentary

Split both of the contrasting colors to add more variation to the image. Your red becomes violet and orange and your green becomes lime and sky blue.

6. Use a triad with three different colors

Use colors from a triad off of the color wheel to make a complimentary contrast. You can choose from a lot.

7. Sometimes you should use monochrome

use monochrome to add hues of the same colors if contrast is not the way to go.

8. Use your blacks and whites with achromatic

Sometimes a lot of color makes everything to flashy. Use an achromatic to focus on shades and highlights and shadows instead of those contrasting colors.

9. Use your hues, tints, shades, and tones

Managing a color and using hues, tints, shades, and tones is crucial to having a really good photo. Using the same color and using hues, tints, shades, and tones to add some wonderful contrast can really make your photo go from a ten to an eleven.

10. RGB, Pantone and CMYK are all different!

Don't confuse these wheels because they all have their own use and using the wrong wheel you can completely ruin the composition of the photo.

As you can tell this doesn't just apply to photography. Color theory applies to good design in general. Painting, drawing, architecture, everything color will often follow color theory. Anyways have fun with this new information and have a great day!

Cover Image Credit: Color Theory and Photography: A Primer by B&H Explora