Want bright, beautiful, color popping portraits! Yes! We all do. It’s actually not as hard as you think to really get the colors to pop AND the best part is-you can achieve the look without even editing your photo at all! It’s all about how you set up your photo from the beginning.
Learn better by listening? Check out this color popping episode of The Stay Focused Podcast here!
Understand The Color Wheel
Ever heard of complementing colors? If not, they’re important if you want your colors to pop in your portraits! Take a look at the color wheel below. The colors across from each other are complements of one another. When paired together they will create the most pleasing combinations. To really get those colors to pop in your portraits, pay close attention to the colors your subject is wearing in relation to the surroundings. Pairing complementing colors will instantly get those colors to pop!
Know The Colors At The Location You’re Shooting
To really get great colors in your photos you should have a pretty good understanding of WHERE you are shooting and the colors at the spot. Are you going to be shooting with lots of green trees in the background? Your subject should probably wear red or pinks ( That’s the complement of green!) ?Going to be in a place with lot orange/red rock (that’s me a lot of time) have your clients in blues. Just know the colors at your location and then refer to the color wheel when styling your subject.
Next time you go out shooting, make sure you know the main colors at the location and then just make sure your subject is wearing the complement!
(Here the green trees and grass complement the pink balloons and outfit, making the subject pop right out!)
(In this photo the turquoise dress complements the orange rock background, making the photo more pleasing and color popping!)
RELATED EDITING TUTORIAL: HOW TO MAKE YOUR SUBJECTS POP FROM THE BACKGROUND IN PHOTOSHOP!
What If the Background Is Neutral?
If the background you’ll be shooting in is neutral (browns, tans, creams), you?ll want your subject to wear some color to make things pop! Having them in neutral colors as well, may still look nice, but if the object of your photo is fantastic eye popping color- then make sure that’s what they’re wearing! Any color will do! The neutral background will really help that color pop!? Notice the two images below. The background is very plain and grayish brown. The color outfits on the subjects make them pop right out!
What If the Background is Bold and Colorful?
If the background is multi colored, or there are many colors in the background, having your subject wear simple neutral colors is best. (keep it simple-think just black or white) This will really pop those background colors and won’t overpower your subject. It will also really make those background color pop more because they won’t be battling for attention with what your subject is wearing! See how in these two photos, the background has lots of color, but the subjects are wearing black or gray- nothing that overpowers the background.
So I challenge you, next time you shoot a portrait to really think about the colors you?ll be working with BOTH in your subject and the background! Refer back to that color wheel and see how much you can get those colors to pop!
If you do give this a try or ANY of my tutorials, I’d LOVE to see your results- just tag me @cozyclicks on Instagram so I can check out your work!
