Session 3: Mid-Summer Masterclass: Impressionist Photography Series
Session 3:
Colour as Language – Painting with Your Camera
Speaking Fluently in Hues
Colour in impressionist photography isn’t just decoration—it’s your primary language for conveying mood and meaning.
The Impressionist Colour Wheel:
- Warm Harmonies: Oranges, yellows, and reds for comfort, energy, and passion
- Cool Serenity: Blues, greens, and purples for calm, mystery, and introspection
- Monochromatic Magic: Working within single colour families creates sophisticated, unified images
Colour Hunting Strategies:
- The One-Colour Challenge: Spend a day photographing only blue subjects, then only yellow, then only green. You’ll start seeing colour relationships everywhere.
- Complementary Contrasts: Look for natural opposites—orange autumn leaves against blue sky, purple flowers against yellow backgrounds.
- Time-of-Day Palettes: Morning light is blue and gold, midday is white and green, evening is orange and purple.
Real-World Exercise: Visit a local market or garden centre. Spend 30 minutes photographing only warm colours, then 30 minutes with only cool colours. Notice how each palette makes you feel differently.
Post your images on our Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/878244939696285
Use #MidSummerMasterclass when sharing your work—I’ll be personally commenting and celebrating your progress!
If you’re inspired to explore the emotional power of colour even further, dive into my book The Vibrant Palette of Colour. https://evapolak.com/wp/downloads/the-vibrant-palette-of-colour/
It’s a beautifully crafted guide to unlocking the magic of hues in your photography. Filled with practical techniques and visual inspiration, it’s the perfect companion to deepen your colour fluency behind the lens.
To go dipper check out this Summer ICM Guide—an 98-page, richly illustrated resource packed with practical techniques, creative exercises, post-processing tips, and seasonal inspiration to help you make your most expressive work yet.
Get it here:
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