A refresher on the basics:

In Art, primary colours are those that cannot be made with other colours. These are red, yellow and blue. 

Secondary colours are created by combining two primary colours. Red and yellow make orange; yellow and blue make green; and blue and red make purple. 

If secondary colours are mixed, then even more in-between shades are produced, like red-orange and yellow-green. All together, they form what's called a colour wheel. 

Colour is an element of art but also affects art, design and our every day life. It can draw viewer's eye to an image or even trigger an emotional response. Colour theory helps us understand the relationships between different colours and how these can be linked to ideas and feelings. Colours can also symbolise a range of feelings, mood, vibe or connotations. For example, blue has been linked to trust (may social media companies use this in their logos so you will trust them). Yellow and red can make you hungry! This is why they are used in fast food advertisements.

Colour symbols vary from culture to culture. In Western cultures, white represents purity and so is used for wedding dresses. In China, Korea, and some other Eastern countries, white represents death, mourning, and bad luck. Meanwhile black represents health and posterity.  Knowing this, you can use colour in your Photography to produce thoughts and feelings for your audience.

Use this website to see a visual representation of the psychological associations that many people have with a range of colours.

Use this website to see an explanation of how various cultures have connotations related to particular colours.