Use of Colour as Dominant Feature

Colour can be a powerful tool to attract the eye and can help create harmony or discord in an image



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Similarly to shape and pattern, you can make the colour in a scene to be the main focus and dominant feature in your picture. You can use colour to set a certain mood in your photograph and convey harmony or chaos.



Colour may be picked out and used to emphasize one element against all others.


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Or link different objects together by repeating their shape and then contrasting with different colours.


benches_colour             chairs_colour



When a picture contains more varied pair of colors , they will interact and gain contrast with one another, especially if they are strong hues, separated and complementary in the colour spectrum.


houses_colour


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Notice how in pictures with combined contrasting colours, the reds seem to "come forward" while greens and blues seem to "stand back".


In addition notice how small areas of colour appear more bright and luminous when they are surrounded by black or darker areas.


oak_leaf_colour fruit_colour



While if colours are photographed against while, it makes the hues appear darker.


pencils_colour



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Pay attention to the lighting conditions and belowmake sure that they present colours in the way you need.

For example, hard sunlight makes colour appear brighter while overcast weather conditions dilute colour and it appears less rich and saturated.



The key to practical success in making colour a dominant feature is a careful selection. This is mainly achieved through tightly controlled framing and viewpoint. When you look through the viewfinder make sure to exclude from your image any elements that confuse or work against its colour scheme.














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