The Psychology of Colour

It's an intriguing thing - the psychology of colours. During last night's class, we discussed this and it's effect on the colours your choose to photograph and the emotions you want to evoke.

One theory is that we associate emotions with colours based on our experiences especially in childhood - that's one theory anyway. I guess we do have learned responses to colours....or is it innate?

Anyway, we have to pick our favourite colour and then list ten things we associate with it and then do the same with our least favourite colour. So here goes:

My favourite colour is RED. I associate it with:

1. passion
2. excitement
3. wild
4. fun
5. sensuality
6. lust and sexuality
7. bright/illustrious
8. noticeable
9. delicious and juicy
10. happiness

I had to choose between RED and ORANGE as they are equal favourites, in my eyes, but I said RED because it has been my all time favourite colour for the longest time. However most of my associations with RED are similar to my associations with ORANGE.

My least favourite colour is BLUE. I associate it with:

1. dull dull dull dull......zzzzzzzzzzz
2. depressing
3. non-descript
4. boring
5. calm, to the point of being boring
6. ordinary
7. sad
8. drowning
9. yawning
10. sleep

I dislike the colour blue intensely. I would go so far as to say I hate it. There are few blue items in my wardrobe and the ones that are there are happenstance. I don't mind electric blue because it is an exciting colour and widens my pupils when I see it for all the same reasons that RED does.

Out tutor asked us to review our previous semester's fiol and take note of how many images contained our favourite colour as opposed to our least favourite colours. Now, in defense, I cannot change the colour of our sky but I have to admit a dominance of red and orange, yes.

Speaks volumes, this last image, doesn't it?