Color wheel by Johannes Itten

Complementary colors

The contrast between complementary colors is a contrast of difference. These are the colors that are the most saturated and have the biggest distance between them in the color wheel. Because there is such a big contrast between these colors, using them together in an image can make a certain part of it really stand out.

Pay attention to how blue and yellow vibrate against each other, although they are not complementary colors

Blue and yellow are not complementary colors, but they are far enough on the color wheel to be able to vibrate against each other. When we use two highly saturated colors in one image, the relationship between the two becomes an interesting visual dance. Keep in mind that pairing two colors together that create such strong visual vibrancy can be overwhelming for the viewer. Having equal amounts of two complementary colors in a photograph creates stress, which is why photographers usually chose to only accent a part of an image.

By accenting only a part of an image with a complementary color, we can relive some stress for the viewer

Analogous colors

The contrast between colors reduces as we replace primary colors with secondary colors and even further when we move on to tertiary colors. Harmony between colors means a result that is more visually pleasing then other color combinations. When we are in nature there is a great possibility that the colors that surround us are largely the same. Forests, deserts or the seaside are mostly environments made up of analogous colors, which are closer to each other on the color wheel. They naturally work together, making them easy to look at.

Green and yellow stand side by side on the color wheel

Next time you go pick up your camera, try not to only pay attention to the subject, but also on the colors surrounding it. Color can add emotion to a scene, especially when you start gaining control over it. Think about the time of day you are shooting in, as the lighting changes depending on the position of the sun. That way the color cast can be used to your advantage.

Harmonies

Color theorists have tried forever to develop a system which would allow an objective determination of a color harmony and in a way that scientifically explain its rules. Through science they figured out that a color harmony is made up of a combination of colors, which induce a psychophysical balance of perception. That state is supposedly caused by a neutral gray color. In short, a color harmony is based on a combination of colors that if mixed together, make a neutral color – that includes all complementary pairs of colors.

Harmonic combinations of colors are divided into dyads, triads, tetrads and hexodes.

Harmonic dyads are all complementary pairs of colors, which we’ve described earlier.

Harmonic triads are combinations of colors that are connected by an equilateral triangle in the color wheel. The strongest of these combinations is the triad of three primaries: yellow, red and blue. By turning this triangle we are able to create many harmonic triads.

A triad of three primaries: yellow – red – blue

Harmonic tetrads are created by combining two pairs of complementary colors. That way the colors in the color wheel are connected by a square or a rectangle which we can keep turning and observe many types of tetrads.

Harmonic hexodes occur when we inscribe a hexagon in the color wheel. That’s how we get a harmonic combination of three pairs of complementary colors, for example: yellow – orange – red – purple – blue – green. Turn the hexagon to find more interesting hexodes.

Search for harmonic tetrads in your environment: blue – green – orange – red

Plan out when you are going to take pictures and choose the most colorful times of day or night. Warmer colors are more intense then cooler colors – that is why they seem to pop out of an image. That is why you might want to have more blue in an image with only a highlight of orange, because it is much more intense. Admittedly, all of these are only guidelines, not rules. The best way of learning these principles is by trying and training them practically.  

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Candle light

Warm and cool

Having knowledge about how lighting affects the appearance of a photograph will have a great impact on the final result. There are many types of colors of light that are correlated to the time of day you are shooting in, or the type of artificial lighting you are using. The color of a light source is measured on the Kelvin scale. Low color temperature light sources are called ‘warm’ and higher color temperature light sources are called ‘cool’. This refers to the psychological affect lighting has on the brain. Blue and violet colors are perceived as ‘cool’, while red, orange and yellow colors are ‘warm’. Different light sources will make object appear of a different color.

Early morning

Kelvin

A Kelvin (K) is a unit of measurement for temperature. Color temperature is used to describe the overall color tone of the light source. The lower the K the more red the color appears. From 1000K-1900K, we are in the range of red color, which occurs with light sources like candles and fire. As we travel upwards through the Kelvin scale, we go through yellow light and white light to blue light. Incandescent lights are around 2500K-3000K. Cooler light sources used in offices are about 3500K-4100K. Daylight values are usually between 5000K-6500K, while direct sunlight is about 4800K.

Mid-day

Kelvin temperature chart

White balance

Color temperature in digital photography is connected to white balance. Most digital cameras now have presets that allow you to pick the conditions you are shooting in (daylight, cloudy, tungsten) and match them to the white balance. However if you keep in mind the general idea that high K values are cool (blue, white) and low K values are warm (red, orange), you can than manually set the desired color temperature on your camera.

To have even more control over your white balance, employ a gray card. You can use a piece of paper or cardboard that is colored with middle gray. Place it where your subject might be and point your camera towards it. That way you make the job easier for your camera, making it understand the lighting conditions, since gray is a neutral tone.

Sunset

Using color temperature can help you keep your photographs looking natural, as digital cameras are not as good at adapting to different lighting conditions as the human eye is. By telling your camera the correct temperature for the scene, it will be able to correct the white balance and color of the shot. This way you will avoid any undesirable color cast that may occur. Kelvin temperatures for specific lights are estimates and do not match every single sight source, but you still have the option to do color correction in post-processing, just remember to shoot in RAW, because with JPEG images there is only a limited level of adjustment you can do.

Street lighting

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Dimensions of colors

In the history of color theory many researchers have made efforts to sort colors in such a way that would enable their notation and defining characteristics. Every color has three dimensions: hue, lightness and saturation. This is called the HSL method which is used in Photoshop and it is supposed to be the closest to what the human eye can see.

Hue

Clean colors in their full strength are indicated by their hue, which changes as we move around the color circle. Hue is the characteristic by which colors differ from each other: yellow from orange, green from yellow, blue from green etc. Colors that are opposite in the color wheel are complementary colors.

Lightness

Color lightness or brightness is the second dimension of color. Two colors can be of the same shade but different color lightness. According to their lightness, we are able to recognize dark blue from light blue, dark red from light red etc. Colors from the color spectrum have their natural grade of lightness when they are the most saturated. Intensive yellow for example is the brightest, while purple is the darkest color in the color circle.

The grade of brightness in a color can be changed by adding a lighter or darker color to it. Theoretically, when adding white to a bright saturated yellow, the only thing that changes is the brightness. But practically, brightness cannot be isolated; yellow mixed with white will become brighter but also less saturated. By adding white or black to a color, it can also change its shade. Adding black to red will make it seem cooler, adding black to yellow will make it greenish.

By increasing the brightness in a photo, the main color becomes less saturated.

The effect of color brightness also depends on the lightness of the surface, i.e. on the background on which the surface is located. Every color can seem lighter next to a darker color or darker next to a lighter color.

Saturation

The third dimension of color is saturation. Two colors can be the same brightness and shade but different in the grade of saturation. We can reduce the saturation of a color by adding white, black, gray or a complementary color. The same as with brightness, a color can look more or less saturated depending on which color surrounds it.

Red and green are complementary colors. By increasing green tones in the background, the reds in the ladybug seem more saturated, although we did not change them.

Understanding the photography color wheel and how dimensions of colors communicate with each other will increase your abilities to describe and justify your decisions in the picture making process. Having knowledge about why adding yellow reduces blue and vice versa may seem redundant, but in time by training your eye it becomes second nature.  

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Additive and subtractive colors

Color theory for photography is based on theories that painters have been using forever; that all visible colors can be produced by mixing a few primary colors. The three primary colors of light are red, green and blue. When these colors are mixed together, they produce white light. But different combinations of these primary colors can be used to produce all the colors in the visible spectrum. The mixing of equal parts of these primary colors (RGB) is known as the Additive method. The other method is called the Subtractive method and it is applied by mixing cyan, magenta and yellow, which are the complementary colors to the RGB primaries. When mixing subtractive colors in equal parts the result is black. Also, mixing the subtractive primaries in different combinations can produce all the colors of the visible spectrum. Usually, photography is more concerned with additive primaries (RGB), as they are the colors that produce light.

RGB – Additive color primaries

CMY – Subtractive color primaries

The perception of color

Colors have a strange way of giving an image temperature. Golden, yellow and red tones cause spiritual associations and seem very warm, while blue and yellowish-green colors seem cold. Warm colors, especially if they are darker, work in a way that makes the object seem heavy and massive. While pale, cool colors give the object a sense of lightness and airiness. In addition, warm colors have an easier time bursting out, while cool colors seem to pull back. You can apply both principles in one picture by placing an object of a warm color on a cool color background. That way the object will attract even more attention.

Pay attention to the overall feel of the images: the image in the left is mostly blue and cool, while the image on the right is more red and warm.

Placing a warm color object on a cool color background will make it pop

Understanding how color is recorded photographically is nothing without the understanding of how colors effect our perception. The brain interprets all information that comes through your eyes, and that determines what and how you see.

Red color is associated with danger, that is why you eye is immediately drawn do the red object in the image, despite its small size.

Using color theory principles in photo editing will give you more control over the process

Knowing how to use color theory in photography will expand your abilities and understanding on why some images may not be as effective as others. Colors in photography do not always have to be technically correct, with some knowledge about color theory you can make the natural colors and light sources work to your advantage. Observe the world even when you don’t have your camera with you and you will start recognizing some of these principles everywhere you go – in nature, architecture and design.

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The color wheel

A bit about the color wheel and the color theory

Color in food photography is also about art, and then it should borrow some definitions, rules and knowledge from other creative areas. To explain the combination guidelines, let’s imagine a Color wheel that brings the complementary and analogous colors. The complementary are opposite in the Color wheel and cause contrast when combined. By the other side, analogous colors are next to each other on the wheel and there’s a dominant element from where the others derive.

When the Dishware breaks the ice

That said, it’s essential to use these relations to showcase the food and bring it into the spotlight. In most cases when using contrast with Color in food photography, white plates and bowls help separate the structure and carry the sight to the food. Generally, patterns on plates (even they are mostly white) cause distraction and reduce the focus on the subject. So be careful when selecting the dishware and fabrics to your collection, prefer the basic and plain, this way, you will be able to play around more times.

Brownies on plate

Brownies are great subjects for food photography tips! See in this picture how the white plate creates a nice highlight for the frame, even with neutral colors on the back. You can clearly see the variation inside the pieces and the brightness on the top. Observe this second image, now with another texture as background. In the second picture, the combination of colors creates a nice contrast and the plate sets a limit. White surfaces also help by reflecting and lighting up the food.

Brownies with colors on the background

Composing with Yellow

Seasoned pasta, fruits, bell peppers, purees, baked potatoes… Yellow stays between greens and oranges to red. Feel free to use these analogous colors and experiment with the props. In order to introduce contrast, apply the complementary colors, like blue tones. Fabrics and painted wood work great!

Composing with Green

Green subjects, like avocado, salads, herbs and spices allow many compositions. You can use both the analogous and complementary colors. Remember to focus on the main pigment of the food; In other words, the main color of a tomato soup with basil leaves would be red and not green. However, all the interactions and experiments will direct you to the right choice.

Green and blue work well together

Composing with Red tones

Red and orange soups, papayas, salmon, strawberries and desserts… Foods like these will naturally call attention inside the scene. When you have this Color in food photography, one of the best things to do is to create a neutral environment and allow it to naturally shine.

Red ingredients are naturally bright

This way, there is just a rough guideline to help when setting color in food photography. You can use the wheel borrowed from the art classes and start making different combinations. Something might work great or not, depending on the kind of subject. Start with an empty plate and end up with a masterpiece!

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Paper

It could be your plan or the luck moment of finding a subject on the go. Regardless of time and ideas, paper backgrounds can look really nice on the image. They can also be used combined with other kinds of food photography backgrounds, like wood and marble.

Paper sheets are cheap photography backdrops

Wood

Wood is definitely one of the most trendy and cool choices for your food photography backgrounds. It’s almost always gorgeous and harmonic. However, there are many varieties of wood available in the market. There are natural old looking wooden boards. I would say you will need many of these options during your trajectory with food photography, so perhaps start with a plain texture and color that will fit most of your momentary needs. Play with other cheap photography backdrops in the meantime. When you get a new shooting session and your needs change, make sure to get new ones.

Lemons on a wood board

Wood table and Chopping Board Combination

Still talking a little bit about wood, there is a specific combination that is quite nice for many products, like breads and sandwiches. It is the use of a wood chopping board and a wood table, generally with the same colors. It’s a great thing to try out!

Fabric

Speaking about fabrics is almost like describing the wood options. It’s impossible to give an exact direction to follow in food photography. Different colors and qualities of threads will bring diverse effects. I particularly enjoy shooting plates and bowls on top of plain color fabrics. They will generally compose your background in addition with wood or other main element.

Fabric interacts with the food photography lighting

Marble

Marble is also gorgeous for food photography backgrounds and carries a lot of elegance. It generally has a neutral color and some variation points that help to dramatize the food photography. Pictures from the top look great with this material. If you already have one piece or table available to use, it’s time to give it a try! Otherwise, visit a lot of stores before buying a new one, it might be expensive.

Apple on a marble table

Solid colors

By solid colors, I mean a card paper or some object that has only a main color to show off. You can get some white card papers and paint them, get from a design store or use the back of an object.

Play with colors and food photography lighting

Other Textures

Other random textures, like paper, fabric, or even a landscape in the back. Also, keep an eye on the food photography lighting! The angle of you shoot might allow different perspectives and backgrounds.

Take a risk and try something different!

I know it’s great to have all planned to perform the perfect photoshoot. Even though you make sure to get all set, it’s really important to actually see how the prepared food behaves on the frame. Determine the food photography background and some elements that you want to use and play with them! Sometimes the best solution is hidden in a clearance sale just waiting for you to find it…

Play with food photography props

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