How Can We Use Colour to Create Depth in Photography and Art?

We can make use of colours in photography to produce depth and atmosphere in to our images by creating layers.

There’s no need to use all the colours available to us, just three will suffice.

After all if we are composing a landscape image we should include a foreground interest, mid ground interest and a background interest. We have now achieved three layers in which we could choose to add one prominent colour in the foreground and lighter versions of it in the mid ground and background. Remember that the more distant an object is the lighter it appears, with the exception of the sun of course.

Notice how the differing shades of blue have created layers and they become a lighter shade the more distant they become, there is great depth in this image and the blue tone has introduced a cool mood to it.

By using a contrast in colour and varying brightness’s we can lead the viewer through the image with just three colours if we choose, the stronger version of the colour in the foreground and a lighter one as it falls into the background.

Our eyes like to move from cooler colours to warmer ones, this transition helps to create depth in an image. But we can use warm colours in the foreground and cooler colours in the background to give the illusion of depth too.

The single yellow flower is a simple composition but we get a sense of depth from its surroundings with the use of cooler colours even with a shallow depth of field.

Again this image shows how a warm colour in the foreground and cooler colours in the distance produces a feeling of depth.

For a better understanding on how to use colours and a more in-depth article read this page

https://zevendesign.com/creating-depth-art-photography/

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