As a photographer who began their journey in analog printing, I have always been drawn to black and white photography. Something about the deep shadows, bright highlights, measures of contrast, and almost romantic emotion the photographs portray always captivate me.
As I stated in my previous blog I had to think of a new project for my final photography course. Even though I am still keeping that a secret (for now) I will let you in on my current journal project.
I have decided to explore color. I have always wanted to challenge myself and experiment while I have the chance (and a professional’s guidance). Now as you can see from the galleries on my blog, I have worked with color photography before, however I want to dedicate an entire project to the world of color. I will be searching for items in the natural and man-made worlds to examine the color choices of people in their homes, work, etc., and then contrast that with the natural colors of our environment. This whole project will be done in a journal format, with text, photographs, and illustrations. Once completed, I will scan pages of the journal so you can take a look at what I have discovered.
While researching the theories of color, I have found two great books that I recommend for anyone interested on the topic. First, Contemporary Color Theory & Use by Steven Bleicher explores a variety of diverse aspects of color. He discusses color perception, color theory, color psychology, color harmonies, digital color, color and the fine arts, and color and design. Although it is similar to a textbook format, he discusses a variety of different characteristics that I am including in my project, and it is also interesting!
The next book is called Colors: Architecture in Detail written by James McCown, with photographs by Paul Warchol. This book has some fantastic architectural photography, while at the same time examining the choices people make when designing a room, restaurant, home, or office building. The main colors with examples in this book are white, black, red, blue, yellow, brown, gray, green, and even polychrome. After flipping through this book, I began to notice the architecture around me, and how the design elements discussed in this book seem to be exactly the same. It is a great read for someone interested in architecture and/or photography.
So wish me luck on my color journey! I can’t wait to get started! :)