Colors, my friends, colors… Ahhh, what would we do without them, right? As a photographer who shoots 99% of his photos in color, and for whom color is a significant element in his images, I honestly don’t know if I would’ve gotten into photography at all before the transition to color photography.
It’s possible to explain many theories about color—about the relationships between colors, warm and cool tones, and so on and so forth—but in the end, at least for me, color is mainly an aesthetic matter. It’s something that simply feels good to the eye. Can I explain why in words? I’m not sure I can. So today, the explanations will mostly be accompanied by images.
So as mentioned, colors are a significant factor in photography. And when I talk about colors, I’m mainly referring to the dominant ones—such as yellow, orange, green, turquoise blue, red, pink, purple, and so on. These colors have a powerful ability to attract the viewer’s eye in a photograph. For example, in the following image—notice the impact of the umbrella being in a dominant color like red.
Imagine if the umbrella were a different color—say, gray. Would the image have the same effect? Probably not. The strong visual impact comes largely from the contrast and the way the vibrant red draws attention. A gray umbrella would likely blend more into the background and lose that striking focal point that makes the image pop. Color can truly transform the emotional and visual power of a photo.
Another example that demonstrates the power of color in drawing the viewer’s eye and balancing the composition. This also connects to the lesson we had on layering. Notice how the eye is immediately drawn to the yellow umbrella. Before or after that, it moves to the burgundy awning on the right, and finally to the bent tree near the synagogue. There’s also an element of waiting here—for the decisive moment. The frame was set, and I waited for something extra to complete the picture. When the man with the yellow umbrella walked into the frame, I knew that was it.
When you're walking around the streets (or out in nature), look around you for colors — they’re everywhere...
You might find them appearing together as a group.
Or colors appearing individually.
You might find an object with a dominant color and build the photo around it. For example, here I was walking down Yefet Street in Jaffa when I noticed the yellow car. I then tried to create a frame that would incorporate the yellow color into the composition, and that’s how the photo came to be. The color essentially served as the image’s catalyst — the element that initiates the story of your photograph.
Color can also serve as a background to highlight your main subject(s).
Color as a balancing element in the composition.
Similar to the photo of the tree, the synagogue, and the yellow umbrella — here too, the eye jumps from the yellow line to the orange lottery booth and then to the street art painting in the depth of the frame.
In the city, there's the element of crosswalk stripes that we can use as a framing tool for the photo, as well as an element that adds color to the frame.
The color can be a small (yet still significant) part of the frame.
And the color can be a major part of the frame – as if we poured a bucket of paint onto our canvas.
Beyond the tools I highly recommend you use, one of the most important topics in photo editing is color saturation. This is a really significant element, and here I’ll show you how an image looks before and after editing, where enhancing the saturation plays a major role in improving the visual impact of the photo. You can adjust saturation in Photoshop, as well as in most photo editing apps on smartphones.
Here are a few before and after examples:
Another example:
And yet another example:
Before we finish, here are a few color photo highlights from prominent street photographers for inspiration:
Vivian Maier
Vivian Maier was an American nanny who took thousands of street photographs in New York and Chicago without ever publishing them during her lifetime. Her work was discovered after her death, when around 100,000 negatives and unpublished photos were found. Maier also photographed in color, especially during the 1960s and 70s, capturing everyday moments with a keen sense of composition and sensitivity.
Helen Levitt
The American photographer Helen Levitt became known for documenting street life in New York, particularly in Harlem. In the 1950s and 60s, she transitioned to color photography, using Kodachrome film. Her work is characterized by a sensitivity to human interactions and the use of color to highlight everyday moments.
Fred Herzog
Fred Herzog, a German-Canadian photographer, is considered one of the pioneers of color street photography. He documented everyday life in Vancouver starting in the 1950s, at a time when color photography was not widely accepted as art. Herzog used Kodachrome film and managed to capture the city's colors in a vivid and precise way. His work only gained broad recognition in the 2000s, when new technologies made high-quality printing of his photographs possible.
Steve McCurry
Steve McCurry is an American photographer known for his vibrant and dramatic color photography, particularly in the Middle East and Asia. His most famous image is "Afghan Girl," which appeared on the cover of National Geographic. McCurry focuses on bold colors and compelling compositions to tell powerful visual stories.
Alex Webb
Alex Webb, a member of Magnum Photos, is known for his complex use of color, light, and shadow. His photographs are characterized by multiple layers and dense compositions, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean. Webb captures fleeting moments with striking visual depth.
Jesse Marlow
Jesse Marlow is an Australian photographer specializing in colorful street photography. His work is characterized by a clever use of color, shapes, and geometric compositions. Marlow manages to find beauty and dynamism in everyday scenes, emphasizing their colorful elements.