Once upon a time, photos were all in black and white!
Although colour photography was invented in 1855, it wasn’t really used much until 1970, almost 120 years later!
That’s because it was so expensive to make colour film, which we now know is a different way to take photos.
In fact, the first colour photograph only had three colours. Here it is!
Let’s think about how we can use colour in our Summer Challenge photos!
Colour catches the eye.
A bright colour that highlights the subject of your photo will be really eye catching!
We can tell all sorts from the colours a photo has in it. Warm colours suggest it’s autumn, cold colours suggest winter. Bright greens and yellows scream summer!
Remember, mood can be communicated based on a photo’s colour scheme too!
For example, cold colours might suggest sadness or loneliness, while warm colours like orange and gold feel happy.
This is a really iconic photo from a photographer called Steve McCurry. Look at the colours in her eyes!
Black and white images appear to be more timeless than colour images
Colours produced by particular types of film can sometimes suggest a specific era.
Removing the colour makes it more difficult to put an exact date on a photo but it can also helps people focus on specific bits of a photo.
Black and white portraitures – pictures of people – lets the viewer see the subject’s face better!
Think about whether you want to use black and white or colour photography when taking images.
You could use black and white photography for:
- Taking photographs of people, like your family and friends
- Snapping still objects, like a bowl of fruit or objects you’ve arranged to look interesting
- Photographing shadows or interesting patterns
You could use colour photography for:
- Taking photos of flowers
- Snapping pics of famous landmarks near you
- Photographing animals (maybe your pet!)
Most of all, don’t forget to experiment and have fun, which is what photography is all about!
Have you been taking photos as part of our Summer Challenge? Send them to us and we might feature your photographs on the website!
Fun Kids Daily Summer Challenge!
We're sharing something to do every day during the summer holidays! From going outdoors and trying fun games to learning new stuff and competing with friends!