Colour Theory Photographers Should know.

Colour Theory is often overlooked by photographers, but it's important to understand in order to take more good photos, and to help photo editing too! In this video I look specifically at colour harmonies, including complimentary colours. Also I've got some new frames! Just not all of them...

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Thank you :)

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[S....]

I was searching the topic and found your video - never saw you before - and I must say I am blown by the way you talk about color harmonics and casually show your photos which are absolutly stunning!

[andrewpadfield]

May I "complement" you on another excellent video. It was "wheely" good. Sorry... I'll go now.

[patjustpat]

Thank you, I've added a fluorescent orange jacket to my kit for all my subjects to wear when I'm shooting in the forest.

[TheLadyteesha]

Blue top, yellow-orange light. Nice little complimentary in action

[sbimages]

Seen a lot of colour theory videos and this hits the spot, simple and clear.

[artieghosh]

james you have a wonderful and engaging speaking style, it's candid, friendly, and entertaining. it's the same vibe as Bob Ross.

[hawaiianhaole]

Excellent. Feel like this video goes back to when I first started watching. This is very useful in for Grading as well!

[philipculbertson]

Excellent summary. The only thing I'd add to your discussion on helping in editing is that with the color grading tools Lightroom, understanding color theory greatly helps add subtle tints to shadows, midtowns and highlights based on the dominant scheme. That of course adds just a little more visual weight to the particular color scheme. Lastly, I'd point out that understanding color harmonies also helps add emotion to your images. For example, complimentary color schemes often portray an energetic, happy feel whereas analogous schemes can really add a calm, peaceful feeling. As you said, you get what you get in nature but understanding how emotion and colors relate can aid in storytelling and conveying the emotion you wish to achieve.

[elclaudio]

scrolling thru comments and seeing how you've cared to answer 98% of them, I thought "my chances at ever getting a reply from a creator themselves on YT are actually good here!" So I've subscribed, commented and gone to watch some more of your videos... honestly, you're the photography teacher I've been searching for all my life!!!!

[brianmckeever]

“Color Circle” is no “Pixel Badger”, but still fun to watch and interesting! Keep ‘em coming!

[markwillride]

Thank you for creating and posting this. Yes, I have actually considered going out my door with a color wheel with me and yes I just might influence my senior photo clients on what colors to wear based on where we go to shoot. 99.9% of the photos I have taken in my life have been the things in front of me and most of that has been to document some event. And most of my editing has been aimed at reproducing reality. I'm just now looking at influencing the colors to make better looking photos when the subject allows it. For something like a wedding, I think the skin, flowers, and fabrics should be represented as accurately as possible. But now from videos like yours I'm seeing that sometimes aiming for true to life colors might not be the best.

[iankellam]

Just as my photography class goes into colour theory the sage that is James Popsys posts a vlog that helps enormously!! Have to agree that finding colours, especially triadic in nature is far from easy but thanks for our practical demonstration.

[ryanbeer]

Quick refresher never hurts. Nice to see the wall coming together. Glue& couple of clamps, or string & pencil as a quick substitute. Unless the glass is broken!

[sgpatt]

And a nice purple and orange wall in the backdrop to prove your point.

[gilbertwalker]

Thanks James for your clear explanation of the color circle, I mean wheel!

[CharlesPalmerPhotography]

A very nice and relaxed intro to colour theory, a enjoyable watch.

[PosudjenaKnjiga]

Your approach to colour theory with cut circles and printed colour wheel is actually brilliant! I make photos and drawings and I'm totally stealing that from you! It would help me a lot when planning my future artworks

[Retset]

Took a photo of a few crocuses in the garden yesterday. After watching this video, I masked out the flowers, applied a purple tint to the grass, to make it less green and a bit more complementary and amplified the purple in the stems. Not opposites on the wheel but 'more opposite'. Hey presto - a nicer photo! Cheers James.

[joerobbins]

thank you for this info, this is all part of photography

[robingrant]

Very simply yet well explained James. Thank you.