Favorite Color

I'm going to be honest, my life with color has been very fickle.

When I was really young, pink was a predominant hue.  Pink dresses, pink socks, pink headbands, pink purse, even pink soap shaped like flowers.  My cat wore...you guessed it...a pink collar.

As a teenager, greens and blues were high on the list.  I had a favorite shirt that was a swirly whirly green/blue pattern.  Without my mother's intervention, I probably would have worn it every day.  I still sometimes see the colors mixed in a piece of clothing in a store and want to run and grab it off the rack.

I have found, though, that recently I gravitate toward more subtle, pastel versions of color.  Especially with backdrops and backgrounds.  I know that if you browsed back through my blog posts, you would probably notice that trend.

My theory is that, favorite color is the color that best suits the subject and the set up.

Above is Moe, with his classic Moe one-squinty, one-you've-got-to-be-kidding-me, eye.  (I think there are too many commas in that sentence, but feel free to remove or add at your leisure.) The blues and magentas in the backdrop really suit Moe and the set up.  A bath and a paw trim for Moe would suit me.

I have tried a number of different colored backgrounds with Moe, but I always come back to the blues and magentas because they really bring out who he is.  He is a laid back kinda guy.  A very soothing companion.  So why not let the color speak to his personality. 

Another example is Pinky.

Pinky was named by a small child, undoubtedly for the pinkish tint around eyes, nose and mouth.  I thought it only fitting that Pinky have a nice, light, pastel-colored background.  This prohibits a stark contrast between the subject and what is around the subject, and I think the subtle transition is pleasing to the eye.

Pinky is a family pet and resides with a horse, as its companion animal.

Ultimately, then, what I am saying, is that the favorite color is the color that WORKS.  It works to bring the photo together, to take the eye where you want it to go, and to complement the subject.  These are decisions I am always making when it comes to family and pet portraits.

Do I have a favorite color today?  Yep.  It's purple.  But who knows what it will be tomorrow.

For more favorite color confessions, jump to the blog circle starting with Tracy Allard of Penny Whistle Photography, fetching portraits in Coppell and the greater Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex.  To those who celebrate Passover, Pesach Sameach.  To those celebrating Easter, have a Happy and Blessed Easter.