1.Colours next to one another are harmonious (blue and green)

2.Colouropposite each other are contrasting (blue and yellow)

3.‘Warm’ colours (yellow, oranges and reds) are also harmonious, as are ‘Cool’ colours (blues)

4.Harmonious colours encourage a calm feeling for the person viewing the photo whilst contrasting colours have a more dramatic effect (blue and yellow).

Different shades of onecolourcan also be used to good effect.  A sunset where the sun is creating a strong backlight can desaturate colours and give this effect.

Different colours are also known to enduce different emotions;

• Red – danger and excitement, thiscolourwill tend to dominate a photo no matter how small the object that is of thiscolour.
• Blue – Calming and fresh such as the ocean or the sky, suggesting open space.  Be carful however that it does not give off a ‘cold’ effect (unless this is what you want).
• Green – Calming and represents nature and good health.
• Yellow – Powerful and attracts the viewers attention.  Can influence a feeling of happiness.

Try playing around with colours and test out the above on someone, I would love to hear your comments on the outcome!