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Colour Methods Suggestions and Methods for Composition in Meals Images


Colour methods is likely one of the issues that pulls us to meals pictures. On this submit, I need to share 7 ideas that you should utilize for colour while you’re composing your meals tales.

Should you haven’t already checked out Fundamental Colour Principle for Novices or the Superior Colour Principle submit, be certain to take a look at these two posts to get a greater understanding of what we cowl on this submit.

Let’s dive deeper into color ideas and methods so we are able to actually make our meals tales sing!

Colour Methods We Will Cowl:

  1. Heat and Cool
  2. Fundamental Color Distinction
  3. Saturated and Desaturated Colours
  4. Match Colours
  5. Colour Repetition
  6. Pair Down Colour Principle
  7. Colours in Nature

#1 Suppose About Colours in Phrases of Heat and Cool

Once we take a look at a colour wheel, we may take into consideration colours as being cut up up into two so we’ve cool colours on one facet, heat colours on the opposite facet. Colour idea, nevertheless, goes deeper than that.

You may have a inexperienced that feels heat or a inexperienced that feels cool. That is going to vary how your story feels.

example of color techniques showing a warm and cool side by side image using lavender cheese cake.
Cool purple hues
example of color techniques showing a warm and cool side by side image using lavender cheese cake.
Heat purple-pink hues

So take into consideration what you’re attempting to inform the viewer. Is the meals consolation meals or is it crisp and funky? Do you need to match cool colours with a sense of freshness or do you need to have that cozy feeling that’s going to lend itself to a heat orange?

Not solely do you must select cool and heat colours, however you possibly can change that in modifying so you possibly can take no matter colour you need and you possibly can make it a cool feeling purple or a heat feeling purple, and that’s going to vary how the colour feels general. 

So actually lean into how the colour is making you are feeling. And don’t neglect to play with heat and funky tones.

#2 Use Color Distinction on a Fundamental Stage

This may look quite simple, like utilizing complementary colours, that are reverse on the colour wheel. Now I would like you to assume a bit of deeper and take into consideration distinction itself. 

What’s distinction? It’s when we’ve a darkish tone and a lightweight tone. We are able to you employ that inside colour idea to pair a darkish colour and a lightweight color collectively to additional improve the distinction in your photographs.

#3 Take into consideration Saturated and Desaturated Colours

That is one thing that took me some time to get as a result of when it got here to paint, I assumed that wealthy saturated colours have been what was going to make a picture. However after some time, I realised that desaturating some colours might be simply as highly effective.

So while you’re on the modifying stage, you possibly can mess around with a distinct saturation of various colours and see the way it makes you are feeling inside monochromatic colour idea as effectively.

White background with pears in bowls ontop of meringues.
Desaturated yellows
White background with pears in bowls.
Saturated yellows

You would possibly need to take a specific colour and consider using desaturated tones inside that colour to additional enhance your composition.

#4 Match Colours in Props and Backgrounds

One factor I like to do is match props and backgrounds. That is one thing that Bea Lubas does on a regular basis, and I like that she does this. 

In doing this the meals itself goes to face out otherwise. So after I put this stuff collectively, I wish to pair lighting with the colour of the background and the props. So that they really feel seamless and the meals will come out from the topic.

Soft pink titles with blood orange margaritas and black pepper, white salt rims. color techniques.

Now I do know this may be robust while you’re beginning, to have props and backgrounds that match collectively, but it surely’s one thing to consider as you construct your assortment as a result of it’s a gorgeous composition method.

#5 Suppose About Colour Repetition

How can we repeat the colours that you simply’ve chosen inside your colour idea all through the picture?

Let’s take of a raspberry cake. We would have the raspberries inside the cake on high of the cake, or it might be raspberry jam or we would merely have raspberries scattered throughout the backdrop.

So, not solely is that this fascinating from a visible perspective, however right here we’re utilizing colour repetition inside that topic all through the body.

Example of red color repetition. Sponge fingers, red sauce, star fruit, cream on top with raspberries.
This picture makes use of colour repetition all through with hues of purple in a number of parts.

In the case of modifying and colour, grading colour repetition goes to essentially assist you resolve which colours to make use of while you’re going to grade and tone a photograph.

#6 Pair Down Colour Principle to the Meals Itself

That is considered one of my favorite ideas. I like minimalist composition. and I actually wish to give attention to the small print in meals. You may be questioning can you consider colour idea simply on the meals stage? 

Why not! Let’s say we’ve bought a noodle bowl. We’re serious about the colours that we’re utilizing inside that, or possibly you’re doing a present stopping cocktail. Can we use colours inside that cocktail in order that should you simply put that cocktail by itself on a black background, it might be nonetheless fascinating.

I actually wish to pair down my colour idea to only give attention to the meals.

Yellow custard with raspberries sticking out. color techniques
Macro shot of a lemon raspberry tart. Specializing in colour idea of the meals.

#7 Get Impressed by Colours Round You in Nature

There are colour pairings in every single place, and a whole lot of them observe colour idea. So subsequent time you’re out and about whether or not it’s within the wilderness, your native streets or backyard check out the colours round you. 

See should you can decide and identify and the colour pairings. Are you able to additionally take into consideration the way you would possibly use that in your work?

Blueberry pie with a pastry cross-stitch patten on top.
Colours from British Columbia impressed the colour selections on this photograph

Throughout my time residing in British Columbia, Canada I used to be simply blown away by the completely different tones of blue right here and this expertise it actually allowed me to make use of these colours in a photograph shoot on this blueberry pie.

So by no means underestimate the colours round you as a result of they’re considered one of our greatest academics. 

Bonus Tip: Pair Two Colours and Do it Powerfully

I’ve shared a whole lot of ideas with you, however the easiest factor, the factor that I like to do essentially the most is simply to pair two colours and do it powerfully. Take into consideration which colour idea does that the perfect for you and what you wish to obtain. Then you possibly can take into consideration heat and funky colours collectively.

Take into consideration desaturated and saturated colours. Perhaps even simply pairing it right down to the meals itself. Bear in mind it doesn’t should be sophisticated. It might be actually easy. And should you simply lean into how the colours make you are feeling, you undoubtedly can’t go fallacious.


To be taught extra about colour in Meals Images, try my associated weblog posts:




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