I know, “How to use colour theory in your Brand photos” is probably the last thing that you’re thinking about…
What with finding a location, deciding what to wear for your branding shoot and figuring out if you need props (an excuse to buy lots of new note books 🤣 maybe?).
But working with colour in your Brand photos can really enhance the photos and here’s why!
The colour wheel
First things first, let’s talk about the colour wheel.
It’s like the Periodic Table of Elements, but for colours.
And just like the Periodic Table, it’s filled with all sorts of colourful characters. You’ve got your primary colours (red, blue, and yellow) which are like the superheroes of the colour world. They’re bold, strong and stand out.
Then you’ve got your secondary colours (green, orange, and purple) which are like the trusty sidekicks.
And finally, you’ve got your tertiary colours which are like the quirky, offbeat characters that make the story interesting (these are my favourites!).
How to use colour in your brand photos
Now that we have a basic understanding of the colour wheel, let’s talk about how to use it in your personal branding photography.
The first thing to consider is your brand, your brand colours and the mood you want to get across to your ideal client (and if you need some help check out Mint Sauce Media or Sarah Bates Design .
Warm and inviting- then we’re looking at colours from the warm side of the colour wheel like reds, oranges, and yellows.
We could include red accessories, choose a warm toned location (perhaps a café with low ‘orangey’ lights) or warm coloured clothing.
Cool and collected – we’re going to use colours from the cool side of the colour wheel like blues, greens, and purples.
We might looks a very bright locations, with minimal décor or we could bring in some props that are in your brand colours.
Combining Colours
Next, let’s talk about colour combinations. You can’t just throw any old colours together and expect them to look good.
That’s like trying to mix cucumber and ice cream (in fact cucumber and anything…yuck). Instead, try using complementary colours which are opposite each other on the colour wheel. These colours create a nice contrast and can make your images pop. For example, a blue background with an orange subject can look really striking.
Colour Symbolism
Finally, let’s talk about colour symbolism.
Different colours will evoke different emotions in people. For example, red can be associated with passion and energy, while blue is often associated with calm and trust.
Obviously if you have already had your branding done by a professional, they’ll guide you with this.
But what if, like many of us, you just decide to choose the colours you love?
I think the best thing to do is when choosing colours for your personal branding photography, is think about the message you want to convey and choose colours that align with that message.
And if you just love a colour… go for it!
So next time you’re planning a photoshoot, maybe spice things up with a little colour theory and make your images truly stand out.
The power of wearing the colours which suit you is just incredible. Dawn Farr of Apparel Leeds is currently offering a discount code BLUEMONDAY10 on her seasonal colour analysis service 
(I highly recommend this – it makes such a huge difference to your photos).
And when you’re ready, here are three ways that I can help you:
1) Visit my blog for tips on VISIBILITY.
Every week I discuss strategies to improve your visibility, get over your fear of visibility and my latest shoots. Read here
2) Plan a bespoke photoshoot.
We can plan a shoot based on what you actually need (read more) or you could join me at a Branding Day.
3) Join ‘Visibility School’.
Visibility school is a membership group where you get 12 months of photoshoots, a fab little Facebook group and a Visibility Toolkit (new for 2023 members) . Read
