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in which there isn’t much color can also be lovely; think of the limited
palette of the desert and the quiet mood it conveys.
There are times when just a small pop of color will complete an image or
liven up a scene that’s not particularly interesting. Imagine, for example, a
dull, gray sky with a blue balloon sailing by. In a scene with a limited palette,
look for a dash of color to make the image stronger. A pop of color can draw
the eye to something that viewers might otherwise miss or serve as a leading
line through an image. Color can also be used to frame the edges of an image
that has a monochromatic palette.
If you want the focus of an image to be a person’s expression or a moment in
time, you may want the palette of that image to be very simple. In fact, it’s
always smart to eliminate anything that will distract from a beautiful moment
in a photograph. Sometimes, the only way you can limit your palette is by
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tight focus on your subject and the color you’re trying to capture.
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just wait there for something interesting to happen. Visit the spot at different
times of the day—in the early morning before there are too many people
or cars around, at night if you know the scene will be lit, or in the late
afternoon as the light gets softer. Stay with the scene, follow the light and
the colors throughout the day, and look for different compositions to present
themselves.
The Personalities of Color
Of course, color provokes emotional reactions in viewers and can
communicate subtle messages. For example, images of a quinceañera might
feature pink because such celebrations signify the coming out of a daughter
among Hispanic populations. Learning to understand the feeling that
colors evoke in people will help you know how to deliver information with
color alone.
Have fun exploring the different personalities of colors. For example, a deep,
frosty blue makes viewers shiver; other blues can be calming or cooling. Red