In project three, I did an experiment that test whether people are more sensitive to colour or shape. The conclusion was that people are more likely to notice colour in a picture. Look back the pictures I took, I noticed that colour is the main element in most of my pictures so it is nature and subconscious that audiences’ attention would be drawn toward it. Therefore, I am wondering that whether audiences notice colour if colour isn’t the dominant thing in the frame as my topic of project four. I took two groups of photo and tried to use them for testing my idea.

As shown by the two series of photos, they have been taken with exactly the same methods. I choose to stand at the same point and I took these photos. The only difference is that during this shooting process, I tried to zoom in the photos step by step, took a photo at each time and then another. This is an interesting experiment, during which you could have a closer look at your object from the beginning to the end. In the end, the photo is enlarged into the maximum. And after the shooting process, when I tune back looking at all the photos I’ve just taken, what surprised me most is that each of these photos attracted me by different point. That is, with different photo frames, audiences’ attention has been put into different aspect of the photo.  As I mentioned above, different frames and structure of the photo have an important influence for people’s attention, as well as our perception and understanding of the photo. Actually, they could be considered as different photos, even if they present the same things, because when the frame of a photo changes, the composition and the main theme of the photo are no longer the same. To this extent, different structure and views arouse people’s different attention and imagination. The six classic design elements include shape, form, space, texture, line, and colour is also one of them. A good application of colour could integrate viewers, arousing their imagination and empathy. But when the colour is not the main or dominant element in the overall frame, then it has little chance to guarantee the notice of viewers. According to the photographic theories, we see all the time colour in a certain photo, but we rarely give enough notice or attention to colour, at least not on a conscious or cognitive level. It is certain that a strong contrast between colours such as a field of bright red flowers or sunset could immediately catch our instant attention. But under these circumstances, colour is not the main presenting object. We seldom notice the changes of colours, as well as their influences to our consciousness or mood, and the inner subconscious message behind the colours, which is composed of the “unseen”.

1) The Portrait of the girl with Blue Hat

Taking the portrait of the young girl as an example for our further analysis.

In the photo with a deeper depth of field, the figure in the photo could hardly be seen at the first glance as it is too small. But some argued that, it is exactly because of the “small figure”, that people have more interest to enlarge it and to see the details. In the first five photos, the person itself in the photo is the focus, as we could see the whole outline of the figure, and what she is doing and her facial expressions. Looking at these photos, viewers tend to pay more attention to her activities and comportments, instead of the other details such as the colour. After all, in these photos, the colour green and blue serve as the background colour or subordinate element in this photo, instead of the main element intended to present by the photographer.

However, when the photo is enlarged as picture 12-15, the colour of the hat, as well as the white letters on the blue hat, becomes prominent and outstanding in the whole composition and structure of the photos. In these photos, the contrast of green and dark blue, dark blue and white, becomes the main element of these photos, making the photos appear more compelling. The saturation, or richness of colours in these photos became stronger. The previous photos feature pale green meadow with a cloudy day, having a lower colour situation, which could not arouse viewers’ interest of passion. The enlarged photos have a higher degree of saturation.

2) The Landscape Photo with “Riverland”

The same logic with the landscape photo as well. In the first photos with deeper depth of field, the overall photos feature an overcast day, which could hardly invoke viewers’ passion and could even give them a negative influence on their mood. But when the frames change, the position and prominence of the colours change accordingly. Frankly speaking, I even do not have the desire to look in details the photos, appearing too ordinary with blocks of buildings. Then from the third photo, the green colour of trees begins to attract my attention to some extent, and makes the photos more dynamic and active. The adding of greens plays an important role in activating these photos, just like adding a slice of hope in life, giving us more desire to look at the world around us. From the fifth photo, the sign “Riverland” becomes outstanding, with the attention for the green and red words, viewers would have more interest in knowing what the pictures are saying and what is the information in these photos.

If it is the owner of the restaurant “Riverland” who wants more people know his restaurant, then he had better choose photo 5-7, which emphasizes the mark and the name of the restaurant. Furthermore, from a psychological perspective, the owner is supposed to know which elements of the photographing could immediately grasp people’s attention. So the contrast between green and red makes an ideal one, which could stand out against the gloomy background.

Actually photographing is an interesting process of creation, representation and construction, during which the photographer could use special photographing technics to express his feelings and thoughts. The using of colour in the visual design is of great significance, because with the change of frames and depth of field, with the proper match of different colours according to the basic theories colour and photography, as well as some psychological theories. For the portrait photos, it’s better to wear clothes with bright colours, and place oneself in a prominent position. The same theories and empirical examples could also be applied in many occasions.