Color Theory

Color, or the absence thereof, has a profound impact on photography. Today, color photography is ubiquitous, but for many years, black and white was the standard for serious photographic work.

Color theory is a broad and fascinating subject. Entire books have been devoted to it, and providing anything approaching an exhaustive explanation is well beyond the scope of this website.

Suffice it to say, color theory is an important subject that all photographers should invest time and thought into. I first began seriously considering color theory while studying graphic design. In graphic design, color is crucial and largely under the control of the designer. As a photographer, however, color may not always be entirely within your control, as you are often at the mercy of your surroundings. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, understanding color theory is essential to making the most of the colors present in a scene.

The following tools are designed to help photographers, designers, and other creative professionals explore common color schemes, visualize color relationships, and develop a deeper understanding of how colors interact.