Week 7

Digital Photography

COLOR….

October 19, 2005

Week 7

Maple Leaves, Mud, Zion by Charles Cramer

Week 7

Primary Colors Primary Colors (Depends on application and

environment) YRB – (red, yellow, blue) – Pigment Colors RGB (red, blue, green) – Additive Color

System says all perceivable hues can be created by mixing different amounts of red, green and blue light

CMY (cyan, magenta, yellow) – Subtractive Color System that says objects are seen because they reflect light from

another illuminant source Like color prints, but the spectral sensitivity of the medium (like

paper) matters in how the color is perceived

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Primary Colors of Art Red Yellow Blue

Need additional pigments for mixing Black White

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Additive Color RGB Involves the use of colored lights Starts with darkness (absence of

color) and adds Red, Green, or Blue light together to produce other colors

All colors combine together to make white

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Subtractive Color CMY Involves colorants and reflected light Uses Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow

pigments or dyes to subtract portions of white light illuminating on object to produce other colors.

When combined in equal amounts, pure subtractive primary colors make black

Create color by subtracting or absorbing certain wavelengths of color while reflecting other wavelengths back to the viewer

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Color Theory A lot of the theory about using color

in photographs comes from the art world, so even though we use the RGB color system when taking pictures, and the CMYK color systems when printing pictures, we are going to talk about color theory using the YRB painters color system

Week 7

Colors (From reading homework) First Order Colors: primary colors from painting

Yellow Red Blue

Second Order Colors: Orange Violet Green

Other Secondary colors: Blue, blue-violet, violet, red-violet, red, red-orange, orange, yellow-

orange, yellow, yellow-green, green, blue-green

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First and Second Order Colors & the Visible Spectrum

ROYGBIV Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet

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Working with Color Using definitions from “Colour Theory as Applied to

Landscape Photography” Complementary Colors

Two colors that are opposite on the color wheel Red-Green Orange-Blue Yellow-Violet

Simultaneous contrast When complementary colors appear together they

increase their intensity

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Complementary Examples (From Reading)

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Harmonizing Colors Visualizing three points of isosceles triangle

that sits in the middle of the circle Two of the colors are one zone apart and the third

is at the end of the triangle opposite As a photographer, it is difficult to plan for

harmonizing colors But can be good to understand Can make photo look “better”

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Harmonizing Example Blue-Green, red &

orange picture from reading

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Color Relationships Most of this content for the next 8 slides comes from

About.com: Color Meanings and Colors That Go Together (Conflicting definitions from reading)

Adjacent or harmonizing colors Appear next to each other on the color wheel Can work well together, but can also look washed out if there isn’t

enough contrast Complementary colors

Separated by another color on the color wheel Can cause visual vibration if they are directly next to one another, but

can be okay if separated by another color Clashing or contrasting colors

Directly opposite each other on the color wheel Can actually be good if the proportions of the colors are good – can

provide great contrast and high visibility

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Meaning of Colors Colors are non-verbal communication – they have symbolism

& meanings Some colors create a physical reaction (red raises blood pressure) Some times there is a cultural reaction Colors follow trends (avocado green was popular in the 60s-70s)

Colors of Calm Cool colors have a calming effect Can appear smaller than warm colors and will visually recede on the

page Blue, green, turquoise, gray, silver, white

Colors of Excitement Warm colors that rev us up and get us going Can overpower cooler colors Red, pink, yellow, gold, orange, black, brown

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Meaning of Colors Colors of Intrigue

Attributes of both warm and cool colors – calm & excite Purple, lavender, green, turquoise, blue

Colors of Unity Neutral colors can unify diverse color palettes – putting

the focus back on other colors Black, gray, white, ivory, brown, beige

The following slides look at the primary and secondary colors and some meanings typically associated with them

Week 7

RED The Nature of Red

Red is hot – conflicting emotions from passionate love to violence and warfare

Red is the hottest of the warm colors Red is power, flashing red lights mean danger or emergency, in some

cultures red denotes purity, joy, happiness, & celebration Using Red

To grab attention and to get people to take action Use red to make your subject stand out from the background A little bit of red can go a long way Multiple shades of red and even pink or orange can combine for a

cheerful palette Red and other colors

Green – a contrasting color, can bring out the intensity of red Blues – provide contrast and tone down the heat of red Light pinks and yellows harmonize with red Purple and red can be overpowering

Your thoughts of red?

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Red

Snow Fence —Toronto, 1994

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ORANGE The Nature of Orange

Flamboyant, energetic, & vibrant – shares characteristics with red and yellow

Stimulating warm color – stimulates emotions & sometimes the appetite

Brings to mind autumn leaves, pumpkins, citrus, good health Using Orange

A way to get noticed without screaming – orange demands attention Use softer oranges for friendlier, more soothing images Use orange to indicate transition – fall colors

Orange and other colors Combine with red and yellow for a fiery combination Tropical looks with green High contrast with blues and purple

Your thoughts of orange?

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Orange

Warm Turnout, October, 2000

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YELLOW The Nature of Yellow

Sunshine, very bright color Conflicting symbolism – happiness & joy but also

cowardice and deceit Warm color, high visibility; used in hazard or emergency

signs; also a cheerful color Using Yellow

Works well as a companion to other colors Can create excitement

Yellow and other colors Can perk up a more subdued color palette High contrast with blues and purples

Your thoughts of yellow?

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Yellow

Aspens #1, Route 168, October 1999

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GREEN The Nature of Green

Life, nature – growth, renewal, health & the environment Restful color with calming effects

Using Green Warming and cooling effect – balance, harmony &

stability Several shades of green for Spring feeling

Green and other colors With blue – calming, nature feeling With red or purple - high contrast

Your thoughts of green?

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Green

Evergreen Hillside, Quebec, 2000

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BLUE The Nature of Blue

Calm & cool Strong & steadfast or light & friendly Universal color

Using Blue Can convey a sense of richness or coolness Combine different shades of blue for sophisticated look

with subtle contrast Blue and other colors

With green – natural, watery palette Contrast it with orange or yellow Purple and red can be overpowering

Your thoughts of blue?

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Blue

Mirrored Lake —CA, 1996

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PURPLE/VIOLET The Nature of Purple

Royalty & spirituality Mysterious color – both warm and cool properties

Using Purple Deep or dark purples – riches Lighter purples – romantic and delicate Can add warm or cooler feeling, depending on shade of

purple Purple and other colors

Contrasts with yellow, orange Can be striking with greens Purple and red can be overpowering

Your thoughts of purple/violet?

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Purple/Violet

Blue Ridge Sunrise, October, 2000

www.canyoncreeknursery.com/ violets.html

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Color Homework Take 5-10 pictures in a “mini-portfolio”

focusing on a single color (ROYGBIV) Be prepared to show your favorite 2-3 of

them and describe how the color sets the mood/emotion of the picture

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Color Continued

Thursday, October 20

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Elements of Color Hue

The property of colors by which they can be perceived as ranging from red through yellow, green, and blue, as determined by the dominant wavelength of the light.

Saturation A measurement of a color’s purity or how much it has been diluted by white

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Elements of Color, cont’d Brightness

The amount of light the color reflects, or how much black is in the color

Contrast A measure of the rate of change of brightness in

an image. High contrasts means both dark black and bright

white within the picture

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Color Photography Color photography has

always been a challenge How many great

photographs use color? Ansel Adams – mostly

black and white images Other famous

photographers – what have you noticed?

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Color Mini-Portfolios Cammo Mills Liane

Show and discuss

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Color PerceptionNotice what the eye can see

Vs

Printable Colors

Vs

RGB monitor Colors

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Changing Nature of Color We already talked about how color changes with light

Daylight is different color at different times of day Light from a light bulb is different from a fluorescent tube is different from

daylight or moonlight Color also changes depending on the medium

Different kinds of paper, etc Different monitors

Color changes based on the surroundings

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Colors and their surroundings Colors are usually seen

with other colors The color we perceive

can change a lot depending on changes in surrounding colors

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Differences?

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More differences?

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Color affecting sizes

Which square is bigger?

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Color – Fleeting sense of light Monet’s pictures – often the color seem

arbitrary, but if we think about the time of day the painting was made… we realize that the picture is capturing a fleeting sensation of time

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Color – Fleeting sense of light

See full size picture to compare

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Abstract Color Color can be used as the composition itself

Finding a colorful item with textures and using a close-up of that item as the subject (also can disguise the subject and make it seem as if it is something else)

Image fromHedgecoe book

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Touch of Color

Good compositional tool - using a touch of color to make the subject stand out and provide a stronger composition

Hedgecoe bookStudent photograph

Week 7

Test Review – Your Questions Camera, Camera Care, Camera Features Lenses Exposure Composition Basic Photoshop Lighting / Lighting techniques Memory & Storage (file formats) Color (Not on test, will be on a quiz next week)

Anything in assigned reading is fair game for the test, so make sure you have read everything