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What are the basics of color theory and white balance for improving your photography?

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Color is one of the most powerful elements of photography, as it can evoke emotions, create contrast, and enhance the mood of your images. However, to use color effectively, you need to understand some basic principles of color theory and white balance. In this article, you will learn what they are and how they can improve your photography.

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Priyanka Mahanta Pandiyan

Corporate Communications Expert I Certified Soft Skills & Corporate Trainer I
George B.

A photographer, writer, and journalist. Open to work. Always on the lookout for assignment or projects, jobs related…
Tania Hoppe (Hope)

Nonprofit Consultant

1 Color theory

Color theory is the study of how colors interact and influence each other, as well as how they affect human perception and psychology. This can be used to choose colors that complement each other, create harmony, or contrast in your images. The color wheel is a circular diagram that shows the relationships between primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. The primary colors are red, blue, and yellow; the secondary colors are green, orange, and purple; and the tertiary colors are their combinations. Additionally, color temperature is a measure of how warm or cool a color is. Warm colors tend to convey energy, excitement, or passion while cool colors tend to convey calmness, tranquility, or sadness. Color harmony is a pleasing arrangement of colors that creates a sense of balance, order, or unity in an image. There are several ways to achieve this harmony such as analogous colors (next to each other on the color wheel), complementary colors (opposite to each other on the color wheel), triadic colors (evenly spaced on the color wheel), or monochromatic colors (variations of the same hue).

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Priyanka Mahanta Pandiyan

Corporate Communications Expert I Certified Soft Skills & Corporate Trainer I
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One thing about colour theory I have found helpful in photography, is that opposite colours on the colour wheel complement each other when used together in a single frame. We just have to be mindful of the balance of shade to predict the correct mood, aiming for a harmonious blend that will enhance the overall impact of our photograph

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George B.

A photographer, writer, and journalist. Open to work. Always on the lookout for assignment or projects, jobs related to journalism or photography.
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Before it was called color theory artists and analog photographers called it complimentary color or color compliment. As most old folks know the pioneers of photography where painters and fine artist. The reason color compliment are used because they are a natural way to create contrast and present in nature for its particular usefulness. The simplest to understand it is using the basic shades of color which is black and while or highlights and shadows. You want the figures or objects in your images to stand out with black and white you either have a darker ground (background or/and foreground) with a lighter figure (the subject or objects in the image. Next, the color wheel (primary and secondary) where the opposites creates contrast.

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Jethro Breuer

Video Producer & Editor
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A great resource to start playing with the color wheel and seeing how it works in real time is Adobe.color.com. You can start to play with different color relationships and see how they affect each other as you create palettes for you to work from.

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Jennifer Renee

Creative Director
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There are associated emotions with colors. Orange is happy, red is power or danger, green is peace, blue is calm, and yellow is hope. Complementary colors create interest in an image and draw the viewers eye to that part of the image.

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2 White balance

White balance is the process of adjusting the color temperature of your image to match the lighting conditions of your scene. White balance can affect the overall tone and mood of your image, as well as the accuracy and consistency of the colors. If your white balance is off, your image may look too yellow, blue, or green, depending on the light source. For example, if you take a photo indoors under tungsten light, your image may look too warm or orange, while if you take a photo outdoors under cloudy sky, your image may look too cool or blue.

To correct your white balance, you can either use the preset modes on your camera (such as auto, daylight, cloudy, shade, tungsten, fluorescent, etc.), or you can manually adjust it using the Kelvin scale. The Kelvin scale is a numerical representation of the color temperature of light, measured in degrees Kelvin (K). The lower the number, the warmer the light, and the higher the number, the cooler the light. For example, candlelight is around 1500K, sunrise or sunset is around 3000K, noon sun is around 5500K, and overcast sky is around 7500K.

You can also use a gray card or a white card to set your custom white balance. A gray card or a white card is a neutral reference that reflects the same amount of light as the scene. You can place it in front of your camera and take a photo of it, then use it as a reference to adjust your white balance. This way, you can ensure that your colors are accurate and consistent across different lighting situations.

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Jennifer Renee

Creative Director
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A gray card works really well to capture a basic reading of the white balance. The next step above that is an expo disc. It has a kaleidoscope effect that captures a more complete and accurate reading of the white balance in the scene.

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3 How to use color theory and white balance in photography

Understanding and applying color theory and white balance are essential skills for any photographer. By doing so, you can create contrast and interest in your images, as well as convey emotions and moods. You can also use your knowledge of white balance to correct or enhance the colors in your images, as well as create a creative or artistic effect. For example, you can use complementary colors to create a striking contrast between your subject and the background, or use the Kelvin scale to adjust your white balance according to the lighting conditions of your scene. Additionally, you can experiment with different white balance settings to see how they affect the colors and emotions of your images. With these principles, you can produce more impactful, captivating, and beautiful photos that showcase your style and personality.

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Tania Hoppe (Hope)

Nonprofit Consultant
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Everything needs to compliment one another. Even with a subject that is meant to stand out, the background items should compliment the subject in a way that is noticeable.

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4 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What are the basics of color theory and white balance for improving your photography?

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1 Color theory

2 White balance

3 How to use color theory and white balance in photography

4 Here’s what else to consider

Photography

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What are the basics of color theory and white balance for improving your photography?

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1 Color theory

2 White balance

3 How to use color theory and white balance in photography

4 Here’s what else to consider

Photography

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