“Color is born of the interpenetration of light and dark.”

–Sam Francis

“Light is therefore colour.”

–J. M. W. Turner

“Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

–Dylan Thomas, Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night

INTRODUCTION

While I suppose nearly every book on photo technique teaches “color” photography (save for maybe a book about Ansel Adams’ Zone System), this book will delve into the many possibilities afforded to you once you begin implementing color into your lighting. I’ve long been inspired and motivated by bold uses of vibrant colors by photographers such as Nadav Kander and Miles Aldridge. Kander’s subtle use of color in the shadow portions of his portraits are just as powerful and exciting to me as Aldridge’s calculated, yet playful, color schemes in his fashion editorials.

After searching the market to find photography technique books that teach color use in photography, I discovered that there doesn’t seem to be one solely devoted to the topic. Though there are certainly books that touch on using colored gels in photography, I was set on creating a one-stop shop for photographers on color theory and color exploration. I wanted to go as deep into color use as I could imagine, covering the whole gamut. I’ve used colored gels in my lighting for years, but for this book I really wanted to immerse myself in color and go outside my normal comfort zone to see what I could learn in the process.

This book begins with color theory and some of the science behind color, and then moves quickly into creative uses of color, which is where we’ll spend the majority of our time. I’ll go over a variety of techniques, including mixing different light sources, using shutter drag, discussing light modifier options, using projectors in creative ways, and making in-camera multiple exposure. Hell, I even go over how to implement color into your black-and-white photography to gain more control over your images. It’ll be a good time, I promise.