Assignment three: Colour (draft)

My aim in this assignment is to show how colour can be used in order to make a photograph more balanced as well as creating harmony and tension using complementary and contrasting colours respectively.

Complementary colours are those which face each other across the colour circle, such as red and green or orange and blue. The values poet, J.W.Von Geothe assigned to the primary and secondary colours according to their brightness are ; yellow 9, orange 8, red and green 6, blue 4 and violet 3. These values can be used to enable us to create the correct proportions of colour in an image, those for complimentary colours being;

red:green – 1:1

orange:blue – 1:2

yellow:violet – 1:3

01. ’01 - Text-talk’ shows a red mobile phone cover against the green backdrop of a garden lawn. The large blocks of colour are balanced in a 1:1 proportion, consisting of similar amounts of each hue.

02. A red/green combination is also shown in ’02 – Bride’ although both colours are in much more muted tones.

03. The bright yellow centre of the flower in ‘03 - Sun Salutation’ is about a third of the size of the violet petals. Had the photograph been taken from above, showing the petals to their full extent, the violet may have overpowered the yellow. This side view lessens the proportion of the violet area, creating a more harmonious balance. 

 

04. ’04- Cool’ is an example of how a desaturation can affect the balance of an image. Although the proportion of orange:blue is around 1:2, fitting with Geothe’s values, the orange can obviously stands out as the main focus of the image. Factors such as depth of field and perspective play a part, however the intensity of the orange compared to the subtle blues really swing this balance. I like the imbalance in this image; for me it creates a certain amount of tension which fits with the need for a cool drink on a hot day.

 

Harmony can also be created using similar colours, those which are close together on the colour wheel. This often consists of placing warm colours together such as red and orange or cool colours such as blue and green.

05. The deep pink of the flowers in ’05 – Marry Me’ would be between red and violet on the colour wheel, which is very close to the violet of their backdrop. The similarity of the hues creates harmony in the image. Although the colours are similar, the slight blue edge to the violet backdrop cools the otherwise warm tones, giving a fresh feel to the flowers.

 

06. I spotted the row of boats in ’06 – Boat trip’ after taking my children rowing on the lake. The Vivid blues and greens are used to create harmony through similarity in the image.

 

07. The yellow t-shirts worn by the performers in ’07 – Sundance’ fit perfectly with the outdoor environment as they harmonised with the grass and sky. I felt that using the greenery alone as a backdrop would create an overly yellow image, therefore I adopted a low angle to include more sky. As yellow, green and blue flow through the colour wheel mainly on the cooler side, harmony is created through similarity. The blue and green accents to the outfits adds a smaller, yet more intense version of these hues, balancing the bright yellow.

 

08. While waiting for the comedian to appear at a recent festival, I noticed that the clothing of the two girls in ’08 – Tent’ almost mirrored the decor in the tent. I added this image to the similar colours section as the first thing I noticed were the blues of the hoodie and walls and the purples of the t-shirt and roof. On editing, I also noticed the golden tones in the girls’ hair and tent accessories which compliment the purples.

 

 

 

Colours spaced a third of the way round the colour wheel such as blue and red can create a striking contrast, sometimes to the point where they clash. This contrast can be used to create striking images.

09. The red leaves in ’09 – Flame’ create a dramatic contrast with the blue sky. When composing the shot, I kept Geothe’s values in mind, ensuring that the image contained slightly more blue than red.

10. The muted green and violet in ’10 – Dandy’ are too washed out to create a striking contrast; however the contrasting tones do add some interest to the image.

 

11. The bins in ’11 – Bins’ were in a busy area of a festival, making it very difficult to get a shot from the right angle. On the last morning whilst eating breakfast, I finally got my shot. I composed in order to include less orange than green in line with Geothe’s proportions.

 

 

12. Instinctively, I felt that the colours in ’12 – shack’ balanced very well but didn’t really think about why until I had uploaded the image. The main subjects of the image are made up of the three contrasting hues; blue, red and yellow. The plastic sheeting and roof show the largest area but most muted tones of blue. Also on the roof and in the barrow, slightly smaller areas yet brighter tones of red are shown and then smaller yet more saturated patches of yellow are present in the bags. I feel that the green elements to the corners add a softness to an otherwise contrasting image.

 

 

 

My final selection of images displays accent colours, created when a large area of colour is broken by a small splash of another colour. Accent colours can be used with complimentary, similar or contrasting colours.

13. A complimentary combination is shown in ’13 – Peek-a-boo’ with a red accent sitting in a large area of green, drawing attention to the little girl peeking through the door. The impact is muted slightly by the earthy tones interspersed with the greens.

 

14. The yellow flowers in ’14 – Meadow’ provide an accent to the similarly coloured greens; however I feel that it is the complimentary link between the yellow and violet which creates the harmony in this image. Without the yellow accent, the green and violet create too sharp a contrast for such a relaxing image. If the violet were omitted, the similarity of the green and yellow would not create enough impact for an interesting image.

15. The green of the cucumber in ’15 – Pimbino’ provides a vibrant contrast to the orange jug, enhanced by the uneven proportion of the two hues. This contrast, however is slightly softened by the red and yellow accents.

16. Warm hues are used in ’16 – Humber Accent’ with very pale shades of violet and pink. Had the background been blues or greens or the boat yellow, the impact of the accent would have been much greater. However, as the image contains similar colours, the red of the boat does not leap out of the page and demand attention in the way that a contrasting accent would. Instead it sits calmly, adding interest but not detracting too much from the peaceful nature of the overall image.