Bruce Barnbaum - The Art of Photography - An Approach to Personal Expression

Figure 6-8. Autumn Aspens, Late Afternoon, Sierra Nevada Mountains

Colors can be used effectively to balance an image. A relatively small color-saturated object—royal blue, fire engine red, etc.—toward the edge of an image can balance larger objects on the other side that are not as deeply saturated. This is the teeter-totter analogy of a small child at one end balancing a huge man on the other side of the fulcrum, but close to the fulcrum. Conversely, of course, a color placed toward the extreme edge or corner can unbalance an image, and that can be used effectively if that’s your intent. Yet those colors may not stand out as equivalent gray tones in a black-and-white image, and therefore may be compositionally meaningless in black-and-white.

The most important thing to recognize is that composition must be controlled in a color photograph. Painters have complete control over color—the overall palette, the color intensities, placements on the canvas, harmonies and contrasts between them, and all other aspects of color composition—and photographers should exercise the same degree of control. The photographic controls discussed above and the elements of composition discussed in Chapter 3 contribute to that end.

Color and Emotion

As you think about the color sphere, consider color families and how they can augment mood. Reds, yellows, and closely related colors are known as “warm” colors; blues, greens, and related colors are known as “cool” colors. The reasons for this terminology are rather clear. Millions of years of evolution have taught us that fire, sunlight, and a host of other things that are warm in temperature are associated with reds, yellows, oranges, and the like (Figure 6-9). We have also come to associate water, ice, thick vegetation, and other cool things with blues, greens, and related colors.

People respond emotionally and physically to warm and cool colors. Artistic depictions of landscapes or still lifes dominated by cool colors actually impart a feeling of lowered temperature; those dominated by warm colors have the opposite effect. Portraits dominated by warm tones may subtly convey a feeling of personal warmth, charm, or friendliness; a similar portrait dominated by cool colors may depict aloofness or other related characteristics. Furthermore, people often become agitated or nervous when surrounded by bright reds, pinks, and oranges. We grow relaxed and restful among darker warm colors and so-called earth colors, and even thoughtful among cool colors. This explains why fast food restaurants decorate in bright pinks and oranges to move people through quickly, whereas plush restaurants use deep reds and browns under soft, subdued lighting to keep people seated in a cozy atmosphere. Libraries and other public buildings use beiges and soft blues and greens to help promote quiet.

With these thoughts in mind, you can begin to consider appropriate color as an emotional boost for your photographs. You can heighten mood in the desired direction through clever use of color and its available controls. First, the objects that you photograph have colors—warm or cool, intense or subdued, monochrome or varied—that should be compatible with the mood you wish to convey. In addition, the light under which you are shooting has inherent color. Depending on whether you’re shooting digitally or with film, this can make quite a difference.

If the earth were to split open, this might be what you would see at its center. That’s what I thought on a backpacking trip through Buckskin Gulch when I encountered this scene. The glowing reds give the impression of intense heat. It was stupendous, almost frightening, but magnetically attractive at the same time.

Figure 6-9. View from the Center of the Earth, Buckskin Gulch

If you’re using traditional approaches, you’ll find that the film’s response to the color of ambient light can dramatically alter the overall color and mood. Your choice of film can prove to be an asset or a detriment to your goals. Every color film has a characteristic color balance. Some are stronger in the warm colors but weaker in the cool colors (i.e., the warm colors are pure and rich; the cool colors are somewhat grayed and dull). Others are stronger in the cool colors. Finally, color balance with film can be altered with filters (see more about this in Chapter 7).

Digitally, you can set the white balance on your camera to compensate for most ambient lighting conditions, but there still may be situations that require post-processing adjustments. You can go from RAW or JPEG files directly to the computer using the powerful tools of Photoshop or other such image editing applications. It’s easy to alter whatever hues and balances you’ve captured to correspond more closely to the feeling you want to convey. But I advise using such adjustments sparingly and with great subtlety. Too often the temptation is to saturate colors to neon levels or overbalance them toward the warm or cool tones, and then the look becomes exaggerated and contrived. When technique overpowers the image, all is lost.

Every film has its own unique palette—i.e., a combination of color balance and inherent contrast—which will be discussed fully in the next section. Similarly, every digital sensor has its own response to light and color. I strongly urge you to compare several color films or sensors in an unbiased manner before settling on one as your sole medium. Since color is highly subjective, it’s best not to rely on the recommendations of others; instead, determine for yourself what is most appropriate for your needs.

When you’re using color negative materials, the negative is never the final product but rather the halfway point between the exposure and the print. Color balance can be altered and improved during printing. Transparencies can be the final product, and they can also be made into prints, either by direct positive printing or via an internegative onto negative print material. Digitally, you can go from the RAW or JPEG files directly to the computer using the powerful tools of Lightroom, Photoshop, or other such applications. With film, color correction can be done at the printing stage in the same way as with negatives, in which case initial color balance is of lesser concern. However, the closer you come to the balance you want in the original material, the better chance you have of obtaining your desired balance in the final print.

Color Contrast and Tone

Along with color balance, another feature of color film must be considered in order to fully evaluate the film’s characteristics: its contrast. To do this properly, first distinguish between color contrast and tonal contrast. The two may be related or not, depending on the situation. For example, leaf green and fire engine red possess high color contrast (they are on opposite sides of the color sphere) but low tonal contrast because both translate to medium gray. On the other hand, light blue and deep red have high color contrast as well as high tonal contrast, since the deep red translates to dark gray while the light blue translates to light gray. Light blue and dark blue have no real color contrast but only tonal contrast, and for this reason they stand apart.

High color contrast occurs when color opposites are placed against one another; low contrast occurs when related colors are juxtaposed. Pastels within a family possess the lowest color contrast of all, while deep-toned opposites have high contrast. Yellow placed against orange, brown (which is basically dark orange), or light green is seen as low contrast, but against blue it exhibits higher contrast. Taxicab yellow placed against royal blue or deep purple will pop your eyes out with contrast.