Dallas Photographer: Gourmet Lobster or Nuclear Waste
In a former life I used to be a painter, and I was a slightly obsessed as most painters are. I spent all day every day with a paintbrush in my hand. I would be in the studio for endless hours sketching, painting, reviewing, trashing, and beginning again. The process would go on and on and I would not stop until I had taken the image in my head and displayed it on my canvas. During this former life in art school up at UNT I was known to have an eye for color. I have always had a unique understanding of color and it showed in my work.
As I worked endless hours in the studio, a certain guy would ‘drop in’ to see how my paintings were going. That certain somebody happened to be Dallas photographer Jason Kindig. His studio visits became more and more regular and the rest is history. (Well, there is a bit more of the story to tell, but there is not time for that today.)
I left the painting world behind and put my focus towards photography instead.
Jason let me take over his Dallas photographer blog to talk about one of my favorite things, color.
Color dominates every aspect of my life. If you are ever invited over for a burger or pizza night, which is cooked on a big Green egg, you can walk throughout our house and see how I’ve taken bricks and mortar and turned them into a canvas. The living room has soft blues that remind me of the beach, while the kitchen has a very soothing green on the walls. Jason’s man room has a warm rugged gray to suit his industrial décor, which is admittedly pretty neutral, but just ask to see his colorful socks!
There are multiple aspects that go into making a photo great. You have to consider the composition, the layering, the contrast, the subject matter, the details, the textures, the emotion, the angle, the focal point, the artistry and of course the color.
Color plays a huge part in how your Dallas photographer creates an image. When you are searching for a Dallas photographer, you want to look for someone who has a keen understanding of color. No matter what type of photography you need (product, portrait, architecture, food, event), your Dallas photographer needs to understand color. Let’s take a look at why color is such an important aspect of photography.
Set the Mood
Color has a major effect on the mood of a photograph and the way you perceive it. The use of color immediately sets the tone of the photograph. If the colors in the photograph are over saturated your award winning lobster dish could end up looking like nuclear waste, which probably is not going to go over too well. The coloring in a photograph can either evoke calmness and beauty or stress and chaos.
Create a Pop
Now you don’t want that nuclear waste vibe, but at the same time there has to be a pop. The color should be strong so that the image jumps off the page and attracts the viewer. An image that has low saturation or ‘muddy’ colors simply won’t have the same impact.
Maintain True Colors
The trick throughout all of this is balance, and having true color is the final piece of the trifecta. You create the mood and make sure that the image has a great pop to invite your viewer to look at the image, and have to finish out with accurate color. When people remember a scene or product, you don’t want them to be confused. This is especially important when it comes to branding, because if a company has a strong royal blue in their colors but it comes out turquoise they lose their impact.
Check out the triptychs in this blog. The first image is too light, the last image is too nuclear and the center image is the perfect blend with a pop of color!
Thank you for letting me talk about color today, and may you always strive to put a little more color in your day!