The brief for the this exercise was to find scenes that are dominated by each of the primary and secondary colours. To reproduce the colours as closely as possible to the colour wheel. A number of different exposures could be used; the suggested exposure (by camera or light meter), half a stop brighter and half a stop darker.
The course notes advised me not just to go out and photograph 'paint' and to try and find naturally occurring colours that match the colour wheel as closely as possible.
The colour that matches the colour wheel the closest is the largest image. This might not be the camera's suggested meter reading.
Photograph 1: Violet
 |
Canon EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens, 105mm, f/5.6, 1/50s, ISO100
|
 |
| Half stop darker |
 |
| Half stop lighter |
Interestingly the camera's meter suggested exposure value is the closest match to the colour wheel. I don't think this colour mirrors the true colour of the flower. I think the true colour is more like the half stop darker exposure.
Photograph 2: Red
 |
| Canon EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens, 105mm, f/6.3, 1/30s, ISO100 |
 |
| Metered image |
 |
half stop lighter
|
On this occasion the half stop darker image is more representative of both the colour wheel and the true colour of the rose.
Photograph 3: Yellow
 |
| Canon EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens, 105mm, f/4.5, 1/640s, ISO100 |
 |
| Half stop darker |
 |
| Metered image |
Differently again, this image of the lemons is more representative of both the colour wheel and the true colour at a half stop brighter than the metered reading.
Photograph 4: Orange
 |
| Canon EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens, 80mm, f/5.6, 1/50s, ISO400 |
 |
| Half stop darker |
 |
| Half stop lighter |
Again the camera's meter reading is the most representative of the colour wheel. However, the most true colour in this case is the half stop lighter image.
Photograph 5: Green
 |
| Canon EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens, 105mm, f/4.5, 1/8s, ISO400 |
 |
| Metered reading |
 |
| Half stop darker |
For the green colour the half stop lighter image was the both closest to the colour wheel and the true colour of this leaf.
Photograph 6: Blue
 |
| Canon EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens, 105mm, f/5.6, 1/40s, ISO400 |
 |
| Half stop lighter |
 |
| Half stop darker |
The camera's metered reading is again accurate for both the true colour of these pegs and the colour on the colour wheel.
This exercise has been extremely useful in not only developing and refining my colour sense but has also helped in understanding the importance of exposure and controlling depth of colour. The "correct" exposure might not always produce the desired colour.
