Monochromatic Series: Primary Colors

May 23

Monochromatic photography revolves around a single color, its hues and tones. Instead of focusing on one color, what if the three primary colors were the main subject? This series delves into the potential of color through three lenses: yellow, red and blue. Each images strips away distractions of detail and instead amplifies the colors on which every other is based. This exploration of the primary colors aims to challenge viewers to perceive the world differently. This is about a world with only three colors; what would that look like?

Forms, texture, and shape are all crucial when forming atmosphere in photography. When viewing photos, our eyes are used to seeing details and many colors; when using this monochromatic method, distractions are stripped away, and our focus shifts to shapes and lines. Many details often ignored, and the prominent shapes and lines will be what is recognized in the photograph. By removing mixed colors, images become less literal and more of an abstract interpretation of the world.

**THE COLOR YELLOW**

When I began taking photos for this series I started with the color yellow along with still life photography. It helped me get in the groove and slowly expand my mind.

While creating this monochromatic series, my goals were to expand my artistic and creative expression and explore experimental methods and techniques. It’s so easy to stay in your comfort zone, and as a photographer, my comfort zone is organic and natural images. Creating abstract narratives with photography does not come naturally to me, but it is essential to improve and explore new fresh ideas that will keep the creativity flowing.

**THE COLOR RED**

After I took several still life images, I ventured into studio work. I was fortunate enough to have two friends volunteer as models for me! When viewing the entire series you will see their faces throughout.

I wanted this series to feel a bit visually jarring and unexpected. The strange aesthetic of the images was a conscious choice to further enhance the series’ off-kilter vibe. My goal was to create photos that pushed the boundaries of color theory and visual perception.

This series was created for a graduate college course I took during the Spring of 2024. This entire series was created over the course of five months. I took hundreds of images for this series, and per my professor’s instructions, I narrowed it down to a final twenty-five photos. I hope to take all that I’ve learned from this process and channel it into my regular photography processes. It’s always important to keep it weird and creative!