I am a relatively patient photographer, however, nothing makes me want slap someone silly more than hearing the statement, ‘Hey, good picture….You must have a really nice camera!’ —Now begins a 3-Stooges Style slap around on the nescient, sharp as a marble muppet who just opened his face hole and made sounds in my direction. — And then I explain, ‘Yes, it is a damn nice camera, the most important feature, which may surprise you, is the person holding it.’
A camera is designed, engineered and manufactured to complete one single solidly defined purpose — that purpose is to capture light. So what makes a photograph ‘Good’? One element is Color. Let’s see how it works starting with some visual communication basics….
When it comes to your brand, color is one of the secret sauce ingredients. In your daily life, while using your phone what makes you stop the scroll? Walking around where you live, what makes you stop and take a second look? In the constant visual assault of our world, what not only catches your eye but you take it a click or two further? Proper use of color is one those elements.
The magic in the use of color is color conjures up responses to our eyes and the pudding between our ears. When used correctly color increases brand recognition by 80% because we prefer recognizable branding. Think of Coca-Cola, what color did you just see in your mind? How about John Deer, what color did you just see? T-Mobile? Hopefully you just thought of red green and magenta. These colors are significant and important. Every time you encounter ‘Coke Red’ it reinforces brand identity and quite frankly sells more Cokes. T-Mobile magenta gets another convert from Sprint and somewhere in the Midwest John Deer Green just assisted someone to buy a new zero-turn mower.
The choices of color and color parings a brand makes are specific, strategic and significant to stand out and connect with customers. The magic going on behind the scenes is how we perceive color. We feel and make associations to color based on preferences learned through our culture and experiences. Our memory is shaped by these experiences and associate emotions with them. These emotions associated with color guide us to see a brand and its products in a particular way.
Take a look at these basic colors and the corresponding emotions and feelings from my staff Color Consultant, Roy G. Biv…
Thanks for the assist, Roy.
Age groups, genders and cultures impact our experience and corresponding emotions with color. Appealing to a target demographic increases the effectiveness of marketing efforts. Coke and John Deere are great examples of long-time brands engrained in our culture while T-Mobile’s use of bright magenta is a more recent adaptation. —Last time I saw so much magenta was the 1980’s.
A bit further, what is your favorite color? Chances are, it's not just a random choice but a reflection of your personality, experiences, and usual mood. Whether you're drawn to the earthy warmth of rustic browns or gothic black, your color preferences speak volumes about who you are and how you navigate the world. And just as a well-worn pair of jeans becomes an extension of self, our favorite colors weave themselves into the fabric of our identity, shaping how we express ourselves and connect with others. Are you team goth, rainbow brite or team cammo?
Back to business, your brand also has personality through your brand identity. Is your brand enthusiastic and creative like Orange? Happy and optimistic like Yellow? Or, confident and solid like Blue?
By this time you may be asking, so how does this connect to photography? Well, simply, color impacts not just your photography but your brand’s overall pallet. We can use this when making photographic visuals in many ways to reinforce color’s use in your visual communications...assisting customers to feel a certain way about your brand and products. Here are a few ways can do so:
These techniques establish unique visual identity as well as influence the consumer's emotional response.
Dahang, just mentioning it, I really want a Coke—that is how impactful proper use of color and consistent visual communication can be for you and your brand. Strategic, thought out and methodical use of color shapes how customers perceive your brand. This association drives engagement and loyalty. Use color, color outside the lines of the norms, to ensure your visual communications are not just seen but are felt.
You need stellar visuals and you get them from me. How long has it been since updating your catalog, print collateral, hero images and product photography? If have not done so in a while, or, if you want to stay fresh and relevant with your customers today is the day to get started. Using my contact page to reach out by way of email or a quick phone call, I am happy and excited to work with and show you how easy it can be to polish up your brand’s photography.
On Brand. On Budget. On Time. Reach out today and let’s get to work!
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