As photographers we have a lot of tools available to us: compositional rules, lighting knowledge, the exposure triangle, and so on. While it can be an intimidating element to a photographer, knowing and understanding colour — the way painters, designers, and artists of all trades do — a photographer can utilise colour to their benefit.

I started as a landscape photographer and when I started my processing journey in Photoshop, I would basically work with the colour that was in the landscape.

My style changed and I started to make creative choices, such as replace the sky or create what I called an “Altered Landscapes” add a tree or a building or other elements , I realised I was making some colour choices in my workflow to make those elements work together.

As my skills developed I wanted to get more out of my photos, and I began to experiment with "colour choices" in Photoshop and that is where my understanding of colour and how it can work to create a mood or enhance an image started. Now "colour choices" are an important part of my workflow to create an image, I do the majority of colour grading in Photoshop, with a combination of techniques.

Understanding Colour

◼ An understanding of colour is essential to the success of any design. Why?

◼ Colour has a distinct visual language and is the most emotional element of design, often creating a personal reaction from the viewer.

◼ Colour is the easiest and cost-effective way of instantly creating a mood.

◼ Colour sets the scene. It offers mood and atmosphere. It gives first impression and tells an emotional story in paintings and photography. As well as these influences individuals have their own reactions to colour.

◼ It is important to understand the effect of light on colour and how a colour behaves in the light.

◼ Cool colours and tints will make a space appear larger

◼ Warm colours and shades will make a space appear smaller.

Colour and Emotional Impact

◼ Perhaps the most important reason to learn about colour and to develop sensibility towards it is the fact that the colour in our photographs impacts those who view them on an emotional level. With colour we can create mood and atmosphere, we communicate feelings and evoke them in others.

◼ While the subject matter and composition also play their part in shaping the emotional impact of a photograph, colour is the element which has the capacity to add a whole new dimension and to make that emotional impact truly powerful.

◼ The reason for this is quite simple – colour is strongly associated with feelings, moods and sensations.

The Power of Colour

Sometimes the colour is so important to a scene that it and the feelings it evokes or the mood that it creates are what actually draws us to take the photograph. I would call those kinds of images emotion- or mood-driven photographs, in which colour becomes the most essential element within the frame.

Making Colour Choices

The above image all centred around the galahs sitting on the fence. The birds were not "tack sharp", but I did not care, 'the bones' was there to create something. I would have thrown this image away a few years back, but with "vision" and "skills" I was able to create an image I liked.

The original background was messy and boring, but I loved these cheeky birds. I used a different background to soften the image and not to distract from the birds, I replaced the original sky with a Fine Art Texture Sky, then I added several of my Fine Art Textures to give a painterly look and for colour grading to get the depth of colour. I used various techniques in Photoshop to fine tune my colour choices to get these and tones as I wanted a soft colour palette, with neutral tones with a pop of colour showcasing the cheeky galahs and it was fun!

See my E Book on “The Magic of Colour ~ Colour Theory for Photographers and Creatives”, where I share more about colour theory and colour choices, it has 60 mins of video content where I share my thoughts on colour choices and the techniques I used.

Making colour choices in your landscapes, creative or composite images can give a different look and using colour as part of your workflow to evoke emotion, mood or a response.

With colour knowledge comes confident choices and the right colour choices