Hi there, photographers and scrapbookers! Would you like to learn how to choose colors to make your portraits and photos really shine? I’m Maggie Holmes, a professional photographer and scrapbooker, and I’d like to share some photography tips and a great discount on a photography class as well!
I have been in the photography business for several years now, and one thing I never tire of is the use of color. I love color, and it is amazing how much vibrance and personality it can add to your photos! To see samples of my photographs (and lots of color) you can visit my website.
A common thread of feedback that I receive from clients, friends, and family is that they also love the use of color in my photography. However, the interesting thing is that many people tend to shy away from using color themselves. They want to use it but they aren’t sure quite how or they get nervous about what will actually work and what will look good.
How to Choose Colors for a Photo Shoot
Here are a few of my tips that I share with clients when they are choosing clothing, locations, and/or props for their photo shoots.
1. The more color the better! You don’t have to pick just one or two colors to use. In fact I find that picking three, four, or even more actually looks even better!
2. Once you do pick colors, you don’t have to make everyone wear the exact same shades or tones of those colors. Here it is better to add variety even within each color. For example, think of a tree. All of the leaves aren’t the exact same shade of green. They vary and the colors on the leaves even have different tones and shades within them. This is what makes the tree have depth and look interesting. It is the same with your clothing. Having various shades and tones of each color will add much more depth and interest to your pictures and will make it not seem so flat.
3. Instead of matching, think of coordinating. Yellows look nice with grays and blues. Pinks look pretty with blues and greens. Etc, etc. I personally feel like most colors can coordinate as long as they are in the same realm of vibrance. For example I wouldn’t throw a hot pink shirt in if everyone else was in softer and subdued colors. Here I tell people to think of nature and specifically a field or bouquet of wild flowers. You can have pinks, greens, yellows, oranges, purples, etc all blended together against a blue sky and it all looks gorgeous together!
4. Look for props and/or locations that have color in them as well. If you are one that is a bit nervous to wear lots of color, then this is an easy way to go. I love to put my clients on bright colored chairs and benches. It really does wonders to make the image come to life! I also look for colorful walls and doors too because they add a lot of personality to a photograph!
Get Outside Your Comfort Zone
Even if you are someone that is nervous about using color, I suggest getting a little outside your comfort zone and trying it! I bet you will be happy with the results.
In fact, this reminds me of a time when I was photographing some clients and they had been super nervous about using color, but with my help chose a fun and colorful scheme to go with. They trusted me, but were definitely a bit hesitant. Once we got to the location (which was super busy with other photographers and families taking photos too), something really kind of fun happened. More than one other family stopped my clients and commented on how cute and colorful their clothing was and said that they wished they had done something like that as well. At that point my clients gained a lot more confidence and felt like the stars of the show!
Improve Your Photography Skills
If you are looking for a class on how to improve your own photography skills or how to figure out how to use your camera to take amazing pictures yourself, then you might be interested in my online photography workshops. I have been teaching two classes for a few years now, and a common theme among the feedback from my students is how quickly they learn and how much they improve in such a short amount of time. Teaching these classes is so rewarding to me because I see that the concepts start to click, and when you get the hang of it, that is when the magic starts happening. Seeing the beautiful photographs that my students are taking by the end of the six weeks is just awesome!
I just opened up registration for my next two classes:
- Photography 101: July 9th – August 18th, 2012
- Advanced Photography: August 20th – September 29th, 2012
These are the last two classes I am offering in 2012, and for the first time ever I am offering an early bird discount of $50.00 off!
This is the biggest discount I have ever offered, and it’s only good through May 31st, 2012. Seats are limited, so purchase early to guarantee your spot. Once the classes are full I will start a wait list for my 2013 classes.
I hope you have enjoyed the photography tips I shared with you today! Here’s to capturing our lives in a beautiful and colorful way!
—Maggie Holmes, CK Dream Team member
I am amazed that someone as knowledgeable as you about photography would misguide the reader about focusing, as appears in the May/June issue. You recommend going close to the subject, locking in the focus, then moving back to the shooting position. This would almost guarantee an out-of-focus picture. If the photographer locks in the focus, say at three feet from the subject, then steps back to eight feet to make the exposure, only objects that are three feet away from the photographer will be in focus, depending on the aperture used. Moving close and locking in the exposure, not the focus, though, is a common and effective technique.
Thanks for sharing this tips. I’ll note this down and get some ideas for my next portraits. Thanks a lot.
In general, the usefulness and significance is overwhelming. Very much thanks again and good luck and keep up the great work!
Wow….I really enjoyed watching these pictures. I would love to click these kind of pictures in future. The photographer has done complete justice with the clicks. Thanks.