Colour, Contrast, And Saturation - Optics

I’d like to branch off from the topic of desaturation for a quick “PSA” of sorts. This is probably the only page in this issue to have an actual sense of colour, mainly because it has to do with the idea of how colour can affect a piece of work. For all of our examples, we’ll be using Veronika Gilková’s beautiful photo of a crater lake.

Colour

To the right of this text is a 256 colour palette using its original HTML web colours. It may look like a jumble of weird tones and unnoticed colours that seem like they just don’t belong in the picture, but to a specialized designer, this palette represents a mix of tenderness, calm, and grace. It would be hard to explain in words, so here’s the breakdown using chopped up visuals of the swatch, what they each mean and how they give the context without it ever being spoken of.

Pink & Muted Turquoise

To set the mood of what seems to be a serene salt lake, you might want colours that make you relax and feel peaceful. We can almost instantly assume the purpose of this picture using visual context and the running theme of these colours.

Deep Red & Bold Blues

While the way it is used in this image is for shading, it also could hold a hint of passion and order. While they contrast in colour, the theme they usually influence can go hand in hand together.

Neutral Blues & Grays

When taking pictures of something meant to soothe, a light blue is one of the photographer's best friends. If played properly like a good poker hand, it takes little effort to find a colour that works well with the feeling it gives off.

Conrast

Even though contrast means to differ from one another, it's in design and typography where opposites truly attract. Using contrasting themes across the colour wheel makes them complimentary. By making things contrast, you can make certain things pop. As you can see to the right, using complementary (contrasting) colours can also add diversity to a palette. Also using contrast, you can make certain things pop. For example, were you to lay the text out onto this photo, the colours would stand out in areas where contrast is high.

Saturation

(now we’re getting into the point of the magazine) Saturation, in the sense of colours, is how much of the colour is in the actual object. In this photo, the majority of this photo is unsaturated, leaving more or less for highlights and shades. Depending on how saturated a solution is, (most being as colourful as possible, and least being greyscaled) you could find the perfect mixture of “look at this” and “it's pretty calming”. That’s something this photo, not screams, but softly speaks to people; aesthetically pleasing serenity.