In photography colors and composition are both essential factors. The use of colors is a very important element in photography. Colors and in particular strong colors are important factors as they draw attention. It can be pleasant for the eye looking at colors or combinations of colors even if the image does not have any particular main subject.
Color
Different colors have a different impact on humans and are often related to different moods. Colors and composition is a very commonly used technique among photographers. Warm colors like red are one of the most used colors in photography. Red denotes energy and is also known to increase heart-beats and blood pressure. A red color, even the smallest spot in an image draws attention. This is worth thinking of when composing the image. When shooting a portrait, the use of a red prop with your subject, or even a red piece of clothing, can add an important impact to the image.
The opposite is blue which is one of the cold colors and has a relaxing effect. Blue can slow down the heart-beats and reduce blood pressure.
Complementary colors
Some colors work better together in an image than others. A good way to use colors and composition is to think of complementary colors (the color wheel). The opposite color in the color wheel is the complementary color.
Red is opposite to green, blue is opposite to orange and yellow is opposite to violet. Opposite colors often represent harmony. Think of a green field of grass with a colorful red house placed there, it is comfortable for the eye.
It is not a coincidence sunsets are so popular. The combination of the orange sun on a blue sky is relaxing for the eye, so we tend to like these images. Both two examples are using complementary colors. So when you are looking for new motives, do not forget how complementary colors can be used to create interesting images.
The natures own colors
In outdoor photography, don’t forget the different light during the day when thinking about colors and composition. A good time for photography is the sunrise and sunset as the colors are likely to be beautiful and interesting. Unfortunately, too many photographers can not stand the thought of getting out of the bed at 5-6 in the morning.
Until just a few years back I shot most of my images during midday. Since I learned about the value of the light, I have shot some of my best pictures ever. During sunrise and sunset, you can position yourself so the sun is from the side, With sidelight, you can create interesting textures and forms.
What about black and white?
Sometimes you might want a black and white image. The advantage of digital photography compared to film is you can easily remove colors from a digital image after it is shot. I recommend even if many digital cameras have black and white shooting options in the menu, it is to shoot in color and process the image in an image editor later. Image editors give you better control, and what if you, later on, want the image in color anyhow?
If the colors are discarded in the camera, they are lost forever. Images with strong contrast like black/white, light/dark denote some kind of disharmony and can have a great impact on images. This works a similar way as the use of complementary colors.
