Colour for Styling
This is my first of (hopefully) many blog posts I’ll be writing to assist you in styling, planning and doing photoshoots! I plan to cover everything from curation of outfits and locations, to choosing from your proofs.
When planning a photoshoot, there are a seemingly infinite number of variables to consider and perfectly plan. Have you ever considered colour? Once you’ve nailed a theme, or even decided you don’t need a theme, a good place to look next is colour. When you’re choosing elements, consider some colour theory to make your images truly stand out.
Monochromatic Colour
This colour scheme comprises of multiple shades of the same base colour. So you’re wearing a bright pink lip? Consider some pastels of the same pigment for your lingerie and maybe a deeper colour for set dressing elements, like cushions or throws.
Analogous Colour
Monochrome a little too much commitment? Try using an analogous colour scheme instead. Analogous colour schemes use two or three colours that lie directly next to each other on the colour wheel. How about warming things up with orange lingerie and a red blazer, or cooling things down with blue lingerie amongst green palm leaves?
Complimentary Colours
I’m sure you’ve all heard of this way back in school, but it’s a basic for a reason: it pops. Complimentary colours are a great place to start building a shoot that gets attention, no matter your styling experience. The idea is to pair colours with their opposites on the colour wheel. So you’re wearing a purple 3-piece? Grab a bunch of golden flowers to accompany you. A cheeky red dress? Try lounging on a green velvet armchair.
Split Complimentary
Complimentary your jam, but you feel it’s lacking some more colour? Split Complimentary pairs one colour with the two colours next to it’s opposite. That’s a confusing concept, better explained in the diagram below:
So, you’re gonna rock emerald green lingerie? Style your space with red violet and red-orange dressings. Really feeling inspired? Try combining two sets of complimentary colours.
Triad
Grab yourself a colour wheel. Now, draw a triangle. That’s your triad. Triad colour schemes make use of three colours equally spaced on the colour wheel. Using this scheme in a photoshoot is as simple as a yellow bikini with a red lip sitting by a blue pool.
Tone Families
This one is more of a feeling than a rule. Decided on a deep ruby red outfit? Style it with other jewel-tone colours to avoid clashing, like emerald greens and sapphire blues. Mustard more your thing?
Once you start to understand these concepts, you’ll start seeing them everywhere. Soak up those colour relationships and let them be your guide to images that demand attention!
