So as I continue on my photographic journey I notice many things which first appealed about my early images now make my shudder. I'm not ashamed of what I first thought was good but I realise I was at the least, heavy handed with my processing. I feel I have come a long way in this respect over the few years I've been taking my hobby more seriously. One improvement I see is with my use of colour. Just because you have a multitude of sliders and tools in lightroom and photoshop, does not mean you need to use them all at once, as in the past I have done! I used to describe myself once as a catapult processor but hopefully with understanding I use those tools with a little more respect now.
Consideration with intent, rather than just simply adding contrast or saturation to our images needs to come first, ask yourself why and if before making changes, to then be able to understand how to get the best out of our editing and to move our photography forward.
For myself over the past year, I have taken interest in tonal relationships and theories about how best I may use this new understanding. Colour harmony or tonal relationships were something I really didn't see at first, or maybe just ignorant to the relevance. When I became interested in the work of a couple of photographers, Bruce Percy and Ted Gore, there images and subject matter intrigued me. Whilst they have very different styles I believe they have a fantastic understanding of colour, tone and how best to manipulate these to there advantage, showing a very controlled and methodical way to editing.
Colour is a science to itself , a lifelong pursuit in learning but I believe just a little understanding can help enormously.
So what is colour theory, and how can it help us? Colours can be very powerful. They stir up our emotions, convey personal messages, and set the mood. While individual colours say a lot on their own, most of what we see in the world involves more than one colour. The way those colours work together is called colour harmony or colour theory and is the technique of combining specific colours in a way that work with one another. Combinations of colours that exist in harmony are pleasing to the eye. .
Experts have specific ideas based on the principles of colour theory and colour psychology, creating colour combinations that are aesthetically appealing and pleasant. This can be shown in a tool known as the colour wheel. A tool that photographer's can use for creating these harmonies within there images.
Analogous color schemes..
.. use colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. Often found in nature and are harmonious and pleasing to the eye.
Colour is powerful. It can make an image shine and wow a viewer. It can also ruin an image if not handled correctly. Developing a good eye for colour takes time and practice. I hope that the information I've shared in this article gives you some helpful insight into how I am approaching colour. in my images. It is a complicated topic, with lots more to discuss than what I've covered here, but I plan on diving deeper into the subject and as I gain more knowledge I hope to share more in future posts.
This is a subject that fascinates me and I look forward to my continued learning.