Color contrast can be used in color photography to help a subject stand out, or alternatively, blend in, with a background. It's also important for black and white photography as an item that stands out due to a strong color contrast may disappear into the background in black and white.
In this article we'll look more at color contrast - how it can help or hinder, and how you can control it.
There have been lots of books written about black and white photography, but relatively little is written on the subject of color photography. In some aspects this is understandable - black and white can be trickier since we do not see in black and white, thus we need more guidance on it.
However, since we are so used to seeing (and photographing) in color, it can be easy to overlook certain points when creating a color photograph. In this article I want to share a few ideas to help get you thinking more about the use of color in photography, and how it can be used to improve your photos.
Taking excellent photographs is far more dependent on the skill of the photographer than on the type of gear used. Just because you have a good camera doesn't mean you'll get good photographs as some professional photographers have been known to shoot with disposable cameras.
One of the best things you can do to become a great photographer is to get a solid understanding of the technical elements and how they interact with each other. Composition, contrast, color balance, depth of field – all of these things combined are what make a photograph unique, and without an understanding of each you may find that your work suffers.
Froozen leaves by mpcevat on flickr (licensed CC-BY)
With that in mind, here is a comprehensive breakdown of one of these elements – Contrast.
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