I've come to notice that there are two components to images with two different focii: the form and the color. It seems to me that the form conveys information primarily and emotion secondarily. Black and white photos create their own emotion because of the fact that they're black-and-white; however, their message can be altered dramatically by the addition or alteration of color.
While form focuses on information, color focuses on emotion. It conveys information, yes, but it seems to me that it's primary impact on the viewer is emotion.
That's one reason we all tend to like sunset/sunrise pictures: the warm colors lend us a happy feeling. We respond in a personal way to that image. In the same fashion, dark or cold colors can create a completely different response.
With that understanding, I've started to experiment with color in my portraiture. I'm finding that sometimes, less is more. I don't eliminate color, but a find that sometimes just a hint of color creates a stronger emotional response, possibly because it departs from the normal image.
Most images are either saturated or black-and-white. This "hint-of-color" elicits a closer look; it draws in the viewer, and as the viewer is drawn in, the emotions are involved, often more than through the untouched image.
Obviously, this can be overdone; still, I think that I'll continue to explore this avenue.
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