Are you superstitious?
What happens if a black cat crosses your path? Does the colour red lead to good fortune? Will wearing green bring unhappiness? Does white cause bad luck?
Have you ever turned green with envy, felt blue with sadness, become red with anger or turned yellow and ran away? Why is a red car sporty, a black car elegant and a yellow car fun? Would you prefer medicine pills that are green or pink? Does yellow taste sweet or sour? Does blue feel hot or cold?
Every colour seems to have symbolic meanings and these can vary from one culture to another. But are these meanings based on superstitions and stereotypes?
Science says that yellows (the longer wavelengths of light) and blues (the shorter wavelengths) really do have a special meaning to us and many other animals. Yellow is the colour of morning light when we awake feeling, hopefully, alert and happy. Blue is the colour of evening light when we normally feel relaxed and calm.
Except for our natural response to yellows and blues, the meanings of colours have come from decades and centuries of tradition and stereotype. We’re trained to associate certain colours with certain meanings. For example, purple and gold are associated with wealth and luxury, blue is for boys, pink is for girls, green indicates you’re good to go and red tells you to stop.
Using colour in a business portrait
We are influenced by colour and this causes us to subconsciously “feel” colour. This means that we associate colours with emotions. (Although some people really do feel colour.) You can take advantage of this when planning your next business portrait.
There are many websites about what colour says about your personality. But keep in mind that what might work in real life may not work in a photo.
The purpose of a business headshot is to show your face and expression and not so much your clothes. Any use of colour should be for subtle emphasis and to enhance a message.
A white, grey or black background can imply power, elegance, timelessness, authority and stability. A neutral tone allows your face to stand out more. A lighter background suggests openness and optimism. A darker background points to strength and leadership.
Neutral backgrounds will work with any website page colour, will reproduce consistently in print, are more professional looking and will never go out of style. Neutral backgrounds are also easy for other photographers to replicate in future portraits, if need be.
A background of green, blue or other cool colour brings out warmth in a face. These colours are often associated with conservative businesses.
Yellow, orange or red backgrounds add warmth to a portrait but can also conflict or compete with skin tones. These colours, as well as pastels, are often associated with creative businesses and anyone trying to be trendy. Colour backgrounds can add a touch of fun or casualness.
Colour backgrounds are sometimes used to match corporate colours or when trying to create a specific look. But colours go in and out of fashion and may not work well with every website page colour. Some colours can be difficult to reproduce properly in print.
Portraits using a colour background might not reproduce well if printed in black and white due to a lack of tonal contrast in the picture. If this might be an issue, the photographer should provide a proper black and white version of the portrait.
Patterned backgrounds are not often used because they’re out of date, distracting and can be impossible to reproduce in future portraits.
Our eyes are drawn to red first. This means a red shirt, blouse, jacket or scarf can overpower your face. Red can be used as an accent colour such as a red tie.
Cooler colours, muted colours and neutrals keep attention on your face. Wearing complementary colours creates a sense of calmness and being in control. Contrasting colours give a more dynamic feel.
Beige, tan, taupe, orange and brown clothing will blend too much with your skin. Generally, clothing should be a darker tone than your skin.
We’re also drawn to light before dark. This means white and bright colours can distract from your face and eyes. It also means that catchlights in your eyes are very important. All other highlights in the photo should be less dominant. Darker clothing usually looks more professional and formal.
In a business portrait, your facial expression is the most important element. The colour of your clothes and the background need only support your business message without being a distraction.
