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Color in Photography
Color in Photography
By: Cole Worrall
Color in the arts as a whole is a crucial element in displaying emotions clearly to the audience. Fortunately, this is not much different in photography, in fact, I'd argue it's the exact same. When we see a bunch of dead grass and one lively flower in the middle our eyes snap to it and prompt us to feel something, in my eyes this is nature showcasing these skills to us, like a painter on a canvas. Colors can not only invoke emotions but can also point out hidden metaphors in art and photography. For example, a photographer may take a photo of a lady in a yellow dress among a street full of black suits and dresses. This could exemplify the metaphor of standing out, using the color yellow might also create a hint of happiness among a world of black and grey.
Benefits
Invokes emotion
Metaphorical meaning
Grabs audience's attention
makes the subject/environment stand out
Disadvantages
Must be used correctly
Can sometimes get in the way of composition
Could become your sole focus
Painting: Flint Castle | Artist: J.W.M. Turner | Year (completed): 1838 | Period: Romanticism
Color in Historical Art
In the vast majority of historical art pieces, color is widely used to generate feelings and meaning. The painting to the left (Flint Castle) showcases these skills in an extraordinary fashion, J.W.M. Turner had a unique skill of capturing the beauty of the sun, especially against water. The painting being set after a battle uses the bright yellow color and a sunrise of a new day to symbolize hope for a better future and the start of a new day. The audience's attention is also purely drawn to the sun as they first view it, showcasing an effective use of color through compositional arrangement and context.
Review
“Feeling Yellow” was captured locally on my campus and showcases a beautiful yellow flower. What made this flower stand out to me was its isolation from everything else, it was alone yet so bright, in fact at the time it was brighter than all the rest surrounding it. I knew I had to capture this impressive floral metaphor, and I did just that. I loved how this flower was isolated, so to exemplify its meaning I greyed out its surrounding grass and gave it a little bit of saturation upon editing. This in my eyes works as a metaphorical example of the idea of standing out even when you're alone. By utilizing the yellow of the flower, it makes me, and the viewer feel a great sense of joy and hope just like "Flint Castle." So, get out there and capture the color in the world, even if it's simple. If it has a message, then that is what will make your photography unique.
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