Цветове
Реакцията ни на цветовете е сложна, основаваща се на физични, психологични и физиологични отклици.
Физически цвета е вълна (колебание във видимия спектър, светлина) - вълна която осцилира с определена честота.
Когато достигне до очите ни, това поражда физиологичен процес на превръщане на светлината във сигнали към мозъка.
Мозъка, тогава на базата на психологически и емоционални фактори (на базата на опит) създава асоциации (взаимовръзки), предпочитания и символизъм.
The idea of this article is to present view of this 3 factors and how they can be combined to trigger a stronger sensation. Let's get on with it.
To be able to communicate well some of colors characteristics I would make a quick intro to Saturation, Hue and Brightness.
Hue - the essence of color, there is no clear word wirtten definition for Hue (there is mathematical however), while it's always related to the name of the color we see. It's the names of the primary hues that are distinguished and all noticeable differences between them. Doesn't sound too specific, right ?
Измерения на цвета
Креативни идеи и концепции
Saturation - richness, intensity of the color, pure hues are hues at full intensity, maximum purity. All colors if you take all richness/purity of them they will turn into some kind of grey. Maximum saturation is colorfull while grey is colorless. This in practice is hard to achieve - to have purest color possible and lack of any colors.
Brightness - how light or dark color is, and is often associated with how brilliant (shiny) it is. At one end if color has no brightness it will be black, on the other if it has maximum brightness it will be white. Unlike saturation when we change brightness color purity (colofulness) is intact, we will not see another color sneak into perception. The tricky thing is that brightness is not independent of the color.
RED - it is intense and alarming color, dominating over cooler colors (green, blue). For a color to dominate it means that it looks closer in 3D space. Red has allot of energy, passion and agression. It's a very solid color, meaning that signifacnt hue adjustment towards orange or violet will still result in a perception of red. Emotionally creates an association with something strong, warm, hot.
It can be both passionate on the one hand and dangerous, infernal on the other.
It is related with blood, conflict and destruction.
It is a strong religion (India, dots on forehead) and cultural symbol - often used as a revolution color.
As an everyday use we associate it with prohibition and restrictions - stop signs, traffic lights.
It is the color of sin and desire.
It is a symbol of power, celebrity symbol - red carpet in ceremonies.
Green - the color of the nature and is strongly associated with it. Our eyes due to adaptation and evolution have most sensitivity to the green color, that's why standard camera sensors ahve twice as many green pixels as blue and red. It has a very wide range of hues and we (humans) can distinguish it in lower ilght levels than other colors. Green variations are very easy for us to descriminate and small variation can be distinguished easily. It's power is with medium brightness.
The color have positive feeling to it as it is symbolism of nature, freshnesh, calmness, growth. It's a symbol of safety.
Youth and progress are associated with green again in sync with nature. It is active and permissive color, symbolizes 'go' on the traffic lights. Green is related to a good and healthy manner of live and used in many food and pharmacy advertising and messages.
Paradoxically having a green cast in a image is one of the worst undesired effects in color iamges. The paradox of the green is that while it's a symbol of health, when not in the right place it's a negative symbol of decay like mold.
Blue - the cool color, relatively dark and quiet. It's much darker than red and green, less active, but have more strength when it is very deep. It's hard to discriminate purity when it's darker and there are no other blue colors around it. It's the color of the sea and the water - very easy to find in it's purest forms around us. It is often related with intelligence, confidence, faith, truth. It is a calming color that slows metabolism, it's refreshing and cooling. It can literally reduce sensation of temperature.
Symbolizing passive, reflective mood, withdrawn.
It is often used as an advertising of airlines, hi-tech, precision.
It is a male color, associated with competence, expertise and stability - it's common choise of tie in politics and official events.
It's color of purification and cleaning advertisement.
It's the color of the sea and often used in fish restaurants.
It is the main colors in shadows after sunset and before sunrise.
"Blue is the male principle, sharp and spiritual" - painter August Macke
Yellow - is the brightest and lightest of all colors. It's briliance.
Orange - is radiant rich color.
Violet - trickiest color of them all, ellusive to reproduce, and hard to identify - no wonder is the color of mystery and magic.
White - purity, sacred and goddly, it's a color of perfection - and yet absence of color in it's purest.
Black - no light and darkness, it's the perfect neutrality achieved by no exposure.
This article is highly influenced by Michael Freeman's The Color Photography Field Guide
This article have art by photographer Ivaylo Daskalov
In the graph it is shown how are color affected by saturation and hue, brightness is unchanged. When saturation is decreased we qualify colors as "muddier", "dirtier", "less colorfull", "less vibrant"
It is time to introduce Brightness (Lightness) into the game:
On the graph above we have brighntess(value) on Y axis and Saturation (chroma) on the X axis. It can be seen that Yellow and Orange have maximum saturation at different brightness levels compared to blue (shape is not symetrical).
Let's get on with the colors
There are three basics use of color - use as dominant in scene, use it as a combination or as an accent.
For each one I'll provide an examples
 Red InteriorStriking and dimensional, red needs only a little texture tо create sense of layers |  Red starRed is always used symbol in ideology and revolution |  Enjoy RedIt is believed that Red color may enhance certain basic feelings like hunger and thurst |
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 Stop lightSimple and dominant, red is prohibitive color |
Red is dominant color and depending on the position and size in image can be most striking and atractive to the eye. It is one of the basic primary colors from centuries - in painting it is considered basic along with black and white. It is always a good accent combined with grey, black and white, and makes harmonious combination with green as it is found in nature. It is part of the colors of the sunset/sunrise so it can be combined explosively with yellow and orange, or softly if it is somewhat muted and blended. In interior design red and brown (woody) are often combined for a warmer and energetic feeling. When combined with blue it evokes striking contrast, it's a superhero color.
 The red flowerNatural balance between green and red is easy to find in nature |  Bus sign (by Ivaylo Daskalov)Some signs and public transportaion have striking red color generally combined with grey and white tones |  TorroAs subject is interesting and darker green doesn't gets in way, red contributes to formin up a stage for the subject |
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 Aikido demonstrationYassuo Kobayashi 8-th dan Shihan is demonstrating the art of Aikdio, on the background the national flag of Japan is color conected with the part of the ground (tatami) on which techniques are done. |  Night life in BudapestA vividly color lit window of a night bar in Budapest, red is related to a more "sinnister" and crazy night life |  MicorphoneRed accent in this image is very tiny but draws most of the attention on the subject |
 Yellow spiderGreen is perfect background for many warm colors, espacially one with allot of features |  The kiwi edgeFresh and juicy, along with brown elements |  Sofia KopitotoMost comon in landscapes during the spring and summer, green foliage can have variety of hues, creating layers like in painting |
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 In the woodsWoods in morning will always be a good place for more interesting hues, like muted (ghostly, mystic) or vivid in direct sunlight |  Wedding ornamentsWhite and green is very positive combination, also used allot in healthy food products |
When brightness of the red is increased it's intensity is higher, stronger red, while when decreased it tends to be brownish and less vivid.
Saturation reduction result in more pastel , pink, or blush (tanned or redder skin colors) if brightness is slightly reduced.
As mentioned red is strong enough to keep it's characteristic in large changes of the hue, towards yellow and orange.
A common problem for cameras (mainly lower quality) could be to reproduce unpure red varying in hue in different brightness areas. Good aporach is to correct Hue and/or brightness towards the intended color, and achieve stronger or weaker influence of the red in scene.
Green - is resting for the eyes, so it's often used in interior for a calm and relaxing atmosphere. And a whole week of treking through green landscapes is definitely regenerative. Dark green is used as a money/trading symbol.
When darkened green is deeper and mature color with solid uniformity - olive green, sea green. When brightened it has simpler structure, more synthetic look - light turqouise, aquamarine, yellow green.
Saturation increase causes less natural and more striking colors, while in a little above the middle of the scale results in very calm colors.
Hue changes are in widest area of all primary colors, it's still recognizable mixed with yellow and blue respectively reaching lime and cyan. When desired effect is to have warmer feeling hue can be adjusted towards yellow, while if colder or deeper sensation is intended it can be pushed towards bluish.
Green color has extremely wide range of good and effective combinations. It can be combined well with earthy colors, like brown and wood. It's in good balance with white. Red as color found in flowers is quite succesfull for different combinations, out and in balance. Orange and Yellow can be complimentary or dominantly related with green.
For a striking combinations more saturated and brighter greens have perfect backgrounds in the greyish colors. Blue and green are often found in nature but generally have limited appeal as a combination - nightly, dark scenes, or scenes expressing coldness for example. When green is "phosphorizing" it can be a good accent in almost any dark color except violet.
 Cactus planetsThe needles of the cactus are yellow, in good balance with green which is still dominant in the image |  Orange spikeOrange creates a good example of nature striking combinations |  Wedding grashopperA small green grashoper have chosen a white veil, example of the accent |
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 Still hangingA firebug hanging on a grass, yellowish green is a good background for the colorfull bug |  Chair on greenChair in front of a shop in Marakech neighbourhood. The green door creates good texture background for the striking color, it's deeper than the yellow/orange. |
Blue - has large latitude in darker levels. Marginally close to dark violet and green, with cyan hues.
When darkened blue is deeper color with allot of strength - it takes allot of the energy. Darkest tones are close to ink /indigo, Brighter tends towards arctic ice and sky - much more vital and energetic colors but quickly looses significance with increased lightness.
Saturation has large latitude, and is cause for problems when matching digital and print. Saturated blue is very deep when in darker tones. Desaturaed colors have higher tendency to than other colros grey.
Hue changes are less sensitive towards green than to the violet. Even a small addition of red unpurities is very noticeable.
On the X axis (horizontal) is Saturation (chroma) and Brightness is on Y axis (vertical). It can be seen that the strongest colors are in half of the brightness and below
On the X axis (horizontal) is Saturation (chroma) and Brightness is on Y axis (vertical). It can be seen that Red goes quickly towards brown when lightness is reduced, while it takes to coral and orange in the higher brightness levels.
 Fishing NetBlue fishing net probably to look less visible under water. Very small change in hue could turn this color into violet. |  Essaouira BoatsBoats on the dock are all colord with blue. Generally brown color is not good companion for blue but when is polished /brushed wood balance is intact and blue dominates. |  Chefchaouen (Morocco) ©Ivo DaskalovThe wall of house in blue city of Chefcaouen |
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 Blues of graphity ©Ivo DaskalovGraphity in Chefcaouen streets. The bright brown and skinish tones in the wall have good balance with blue |  Telecom TowerBelgrade, Serbia, business building. Blue is one of the business/corporate colors and is often chosen for moder office buildings. |  Sky GlassSofia, Bulgaria, European commission building, along with grey blue is the choice for modern office buildings. When on glass It reflects sky well and creates dimensionality |
 Cat on a netOrange is one of the colors that oposes and balance the blue. It's combined with blue to achieve striking contrast |  Dunes ©Ivo DaskalovIn nature orange and blue meets in desert, Blue takes a little of the heat of the image, contributing to the gracefull curves of sand. |  Waiting in blueBlue can give live to a dry environment, and it's symbol of the wisdom |
 Bike wallBike in Marakech's old city, narrow streets. Natural companion for blue is grey which sometimes improves connection with colors like brown |  Old school UniversityMarakesh (Morocco) University turned into museum, bluish green helps cool down the complex and intense architecture elements, creating a more aristocrat environment |
Blue - as dominant color needs a little texture to be interesting and trigger emotion. However it's very sensitive to hue changes with violet and red inpurities, so careful Hue adjustment may be needed to preserve it as seen by eyes.
In combinations it's well contrasted by orange and finds good companion with muted colors , and ofcourse grey. White generally combines with less tention with blue and green, than red (where it signifies emrgency).
Dark saturated brown is not recomended as best companion.
Saturation has large latitude, and is cause for problems when matching digital and print. Saturated blue is very deep when in darker tones. Desaturaed colors have higher tendency to than other colros grey.
Hue changes are less sensitive towards green than to the violet. Even a small addition of red unpurities is very noticeable.
Цветът по-скоро се усеща/преживява а не се обмисля, подобно на музиката. Подобно на художниците, фотографите използват и контролират цветовете.
Толкова е добре да имаш дълбоко разбиране за влиянието и чуствата, които могат да предизвикат цветовете. Най-малкото това позволява за реалистично (или нереласитично) представяне на сцените на които се натъкваме, но в творческа посока отваря цяла нова вселена - оригинална и емоционална.
Primary hues are the colors that can be described with one word - red, green, blue, cyan, magenta... All colors we can distinguish above, have hues, if we need to add another word to the description (light, dark, strong, mute) it's still the same kind of hue, though it looks a different. In image processing and color theory color is any unique sets of values of the primary colors (red, green, blue for digital display sources, yellow, magenta and black for print...etc.). Hue is very closely related to the color because if we have light blue it can be described as blue that is just bright or sky blue - still it's blue in it's essence. Any characteristics we add to the color is a modulation of it's Hue, as an example...