- Orange: blue 1:2
- Red: green 1:1
- Yellow: violet 1:3
It will be necessary to compose the shot in such a way to get the required ratio's.
Orange - blue 1:2
Could maybe have done with a bit more blue in the sky here but you get the idea! The rusty orange colour is very saturated and really stands out. I shot it with roughly twice the amount of sky to rust.
Red - green 1:1
Red and green should be represented in roughly a one to one ratio. I initially photographed leaves still attached to the shrub but had trouble getting the ratio due to the sky coming through and the different levels of green and brown. Then I spotted the leaves on the grass and chose to photograph the contrast this way.
For the second part of the exercise I am posting 3 images of colour combinations that I like. They may bear no relation to the ratios and colours we have discussed so far.
Image 1, Sami
This first image was taken at a recent 'Strobist' event where several models were wearing genuine vintage clothing. For those of you who don't know what 'Strobist' means, it is a technique for using a camera flash gun but off of the camera. In the case of the picture of Sami, the flash gun was mounted on a light stand and fired by a wireless trigger. The colours on the door and the match with her dress were purely a chance happening. I spotted the door and was setting up a shot with somebody else when Sami walked past in this dress. It just had to be done!
The colour relationship that appeals to me in this image is the blue against the white/grey of the door which matches Sami's hair. I am not really sure where the grey would sit on the colour wheel. The red of her lipstick is the only other colour of any significance in this shot and this sits almost opposite blue.
Image 2, Pink Flower
My second image is of a pink flower I spotted when out in a local park. The colour combination of the flower and the green background really grabbed me and I tried to highlight this by throwing the back ground right out of focus. Again this is difficult to place on the colour wheel. I guess the flower sits somewhere between red and violet. The green sits opposite red so it is close to opposing colours. Theoretically the flower should be a little cooler than red.
