Colour Psychology
What is Colour Psychology?
Colour Psychology is the study of hues which determine behaviour.
Before I proceed with colours and their meanings, I would like to share with you my experience with the psychology of colour. When I first started this photography career thing I have going on, I wanted to have everything all sorted out, all my branding and colour schemes, etc.
However, I was navigating myself in the dark for the first little while, choosing colours I liked in the season and kept changing them as time progressed. It wasn’t until I was scrolling through Pinterest (as some people do), that I came across Colour Psychology that a light bulb switched on. As I dug deeper and read multiple articles on the subject, that light kept getting brighter.
When I began planning the colours I wanted to use, I made a list of the words that describe my brand and its values, to help decide. This was an extremely useful exercise to stay focused and not get distracted by all the colours, it kept things in focus. I also found out that different tones convey different meanings, which definitely affected the colours I have chosen to represent my brand.
Now that I have my colours, I have found my work to be more cohesive and consistent in terms of visual aesthetics.
Let’s get to it
| Pink |
Positives:
Feminine, Sweet, Playful, Compassionate, Healthy.
Negatives:
Womanly, Immature, Weak.
| RED |
Positives:
Energy, Passion, Strength, Love, Heat.
Negatives:
Danger, Anger, Warning.
| orange |
Positives:
Friendly, Confident, Successful, Courageous, Intention.
Negatives:
Sluggish, Ignorance.
| yellow |
Positives:
Bright, Happy, Energetic, Intelligent, Sunny, Joy.
Negatives:
Unstable, Irresponsible.
Colour influences perceptions that aren’t obvious, such as the taste of food.
| Green |
Positives:
Growth, Money, Fresh, Fertile, Healing.
Negatives:
Jealousy, Guilt, Envious.
| Teal |
Positives:
Sophisticated, Healing, Spiritual.
Negatives:
Feminine, Envious.
| BLUE |
Positives:
Loyalty, Security, Trustworthy, Intelligent, Tranquil.
Negatives:
Cold, Masculine, Fear.
| LIGHT BLUE |
Positives:
Clean, Calming, Patient, Peaceful.
Negatives:
Cold, Childish.
COLOUR is the element in pictures from which we derive the most direct emotional response.
| violet |
Positives:
Rich, Royalty, Sensual, Prestigious.
Negatives:
Distant, Aloof.
| grey |
Positives:
Classic, Corporate, Practical, Modest.
Negatives:
Dull, Dutiful.
| BLACK |
Positives:
Powerful, Elegant, Sophisticated , Expensive.
Negatives:
Menacing, Depression, Death.
| WHITE |
Positives:
Pure, Clean, Airy, Innocent, Honest, Safe.
Negatives:
Clinical, Cold, Sterile.
| BROWN |
Positives:
Confident, Earthy, Wholesome, Dependable.
Negatives:
Conservative, Dogmatic.
Let’s think about real life examples.
Have a think about different brands, companies, logos. Have a look at their colours, and what they represent. Maybe see if you agree with their chosen colours and how they present themselves in the marketplace?
Have you ever noticed that most Banks use the colour blue in their branding - this is because they want to reassure you that they are secure and trustworthy, which a bank should be, therefore this is a good colour for them to use.
How does Colour Psychology impact Personal Branding photography?
Discerning the colours that accurately convey your brand values and ideals allows you to create consistent and cohesive content tailored to you. This could be through the clothing you wear, such as a uniform, or through the editing style of the photographs, or the background colours used in your photographs. Once you have your colours, you have a clear way forward of the visual aesthetics to achieve, and the ease of having the colours picked out already. When you keep your visuals consistent in colour, tone, and quality, people tend to notice and enjoy more because it is pleasing to the eye.
Please leave a comment below if you found this helpful, and want to see more like this.