Do you want to liven up your photoshoots by adding a splash of colour? Well then, don't worry, here at Oh! Ducky Darling we know all about colour. So, leave those dull grey backgrounds behind and try using contrasting colours, they're guaranteed to spice up your pictures.
Photographs and words by Rosa Fairfield
Mix it up with different tones
If you just pick two contrasting tones that doesn't mean you have to just go for a block coloured background and a block coloured outfit (although, that can look pretty striking). You can mix it up a bit by making sure your outfit and background contain different shades of the same colour (monotone if you want to be fancy). I've done that with the detailing on the window and - well I think at least - it makes it pop. Also, Co-Ords are great for this as the outfit will be the same colour and then you can break the colour tone up with accessories.
Try not to overdo it with the detail
This is one of those lazy cheats. You could create a photoshoot with intricate patterns and contrasting colours... but that's going to take a lot of effort and planning to achieve. If you have a quick turnaround and not much time, try to keep it simple by minimising the detail in the photo... you'll have a lot less to worry about.
Plan it out beforehand
So, yep, in that last point I was trying to give you cheating shortcuts to cut out planning and in this one I'm telling you to plan it out before hand. That doesn't mean creating lots of in depth diagrams though... it's just good to know what your location is beforehand and what your outfit is. That way you can make sure the colours actually do contrast (hence the contrasting colours theme).
Also, it's good to scout out your location... otherwise you might get there and find that lovely pink wall you had your eye on a few months back has been painted white. That's actually happened to me before. I was not impressed. I still, to this day, have no idea why someone would paint a unique and cheerful wall a boring colour. There's already too much boring in the world.
Think about editing
Editing plays a big part in photoshoots involving colour. I always play around with adjusting the tone and intensity of the colours in my photoshoots. You can easily turn a wall that looks like it has a bit of colour in it, into something really eye-catching. I know there's this whole debate on... don't use filters because they don't represent real life. My stance on that is: use filters because they don't represent real life. Honestly, if I wanted real life, I've go sit in my local park and people watch, I go online because I want to see people be artistic.
Plan for lighting
There's that awful moment, where you get to your location and find out that your photos look rubbish because it's started to go dark... because it's winter and that happens in winter. Lighting can make all the difference to a picture. You can even catch that dreamy light just before sunset where everything goes golden. That's perfect if you're using yellows, oranges or blues in your pictures.
