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Graflex Crown Speed Graphic Century Guide — part 3 Reference guide
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crrAPrERrs I irrcnr souRcES
The first and- most important subject that will greet you at
the doorway to photographic knowledge wilt be light. only when
ygul subjects rgflect light can they be photographed. Relording
of this reflected light may take place only by *"un, of lighi-
sensitive film. If there is no subject to reflect light, then no -"tt".
how long your exposure may be there can be no picture. Similarly,
unless you have a light-sensitive emulsion to record the efiects of
light, there can be no picture. The two essential elements for a
picture are an emulsion that is light-sensitive and light.
We have discussed various types of film and fihlharacteristics.
We will now detail the preparation, use, and the efiects of difierent
kinds of light.
There are three basic light types as shown in the chart. The
photographic effects of these difierent types should serve as a guide
for their use with various subjects.
You can choose the proper type of light for any subject. An
old wrinkled woman should not be photographed with the same
light type you would use with a weat}er-beaten character. To soften
the wrinkles of Granny and so make her love you all the more
for making her look younger, you ought to use either heavily
difiused photofloods, bounce light, or fluorescents if they are avaii-
able. The weather-beaten realism of your battered character whom
you wish to portray in vivid dramatic contrast can be brought out
only by using the spotlight at the proper angle, or using outdoor
sunlight as a point source of light.
If you wish to reveal the fine texture of a lace pattern, then
a properly angled spotlight will be the logical choice to show all
t}e crisp detail. On the other hand, if you wish to minimize the
detail in order to get an area eflect for mood, then a diffused
source is the choice for the desired result.
It is necessary to emphasize that while a sharp contrasting
light may be diffused, one can never sharpen the efiect of ;
diffused light source. For this reason many photographers always
use spotlights and then soften their image while enlarging. This
technique is applicable only to black and white film ritr"" there
is no possibility of changing your lighting efiect with color fikn.
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Hozy sun-sem i-d iffused
C l o u d y o n d d u l l - J i f f u s e d
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CHAPTER 16 I A-ANGLE ARRANGEI}TENT
You will shortly find that the arrangement and placement of
your lights is a very important factor to be considered. The illus-
trations demonstrate the results of different light positions, while
the chart details the efiects for which each clifierent position may
be used.
Once again you can choose the best light position for any
particular effect. At the beginning you will consult the chart for
its recommendations, but as you progress you will automatically
place the lamps in their correct position without even thinking
twice as to what is being done. With experience, you will know
what has to be done and will do it!
ANGLE DIRECTION OF LIGHT
Axcr,r or Lrcnr Usn Typn
0" Front light Fill-in. Must not Semi-difiused or difiused
cast a shadow
45" on each side Flat copying Any
45o subject to camera Main Illumination Point for men
and Semi-difiused for mosr
45" from front down. Difiused for subduing detail
(Classic Portrait Light)
4*5o Front rear down on Accentuation Spotlight
subject
45" up on near wall, etc. Separation Floodlight in bullet reflector
900 Texture Any depending upon vigor ot
Maximum detail detail required
contrast
39" Limit eyeglass Ary
reflection
lB0" Rim eftect - full Bare lamp without reflector
subject behind subject; controlled
HaIo effect spotlight on background
g3L/2"Polarizer Reduce glare and Ary
reflection
Increase contrast
Increase color puritv
Eliminate haze (outdoors)
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In the following eight panels, page 94, one can see the efiect
of light upon a model, in each case the lamps being placed at
floor level and at intervals of 45 degrees in a complete circle about
her. Lighting from low angles is mostly used to create dramatic
effects of suspense or grotesqueness.It is often seen in shots of
wrestlers,boxers, fortune tellers.
In the chart of photos (9-16) page 95, B flashbulbs were posi-
tioned at camera level encircling the model. Notice the visible
differencesin the lighting when compared with the matching panels:
9 and 1, 1I and 3, and so on. By studying these areas of illumination
in the four charts you can formulate lighting combinations to fit
your own lens subjects.
Photos L7-24, page 96, show what happens when lights are
raised to an angle oI 45 degreesabove, and directed upon, a qubject.
Number 18 is the classic 45145 main light position. Wide side,
back and top light positions shield lamp and lens to avoid flare.
These charts are useful to determine flash fill-in angles for outdoor
shooting as well as indoor work.
Lamps at an angle of ?0 degrees above the model's head give
the results seen in photos 25-32, page 97, with number 33 being a
direct, overhead top light. In the main, these positions are used
for highlight accents in so-called glamour shots. In setting up
lights keep in mind these 33 basic illumination effects and use
combinations which best suit the subject.
Photos on pages 94,95,96,97, by Ed. Hannigan lor Syluania Electric
Jrom U. S. Camera
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CHAPTER 17 | B_BALANCE
The most important characteristic of film, you will discover,
is that the emulsion does not have the same r"r,.itioity to difierences
in light strength as does the human eye. on a bright day, you can
see and distinguish light difierences up to 2000 to I. For -ratioiractical
pTposes, a photographic film can distinguish a volume of
only 60 to l. This usual ratio of 60 to I serves admirablv for most
black-and-whitefilm. For color film, this ratio sensitivity is further
compressedto approximately 4 to r maximum. Do not be dis-
couragedbecauseof this seemingly low contrast value. Millions of
photographs have been made within these contrast limitations and
their results' have^_beenentirely satisfactory. since the sensitivity
latitude of your film must have the volume ratios of light in thl
proportions that we have indicated, you must light yo,r, subject
so that the volume ratios are within the corrfine-sof the up""ifi"
latitude limits. The illustrations demonstrate what occurs when
you use the ratios of the light within the film latitude permitted.
At 16 to I, there is just a trace of shadow detail. The shadow
detail increases as you increase the proportion of light-simplifyonto the
shadow side. At 1 to 1, both side" ur" equally lit. To this
b-alancingof light within the confines of the film capacity io ,L"o.d
shadow, middle-tone and highlight volume, the auiho, hu" coined
the IGAS formula. (/-Illumination; G-Gradation; l-Accentuation,
S-Separation.) This formula serves as the basis for all exposure
balancein photoglaphy. It must be used for all photograpt y. rnu
type, the angle, the qrlality of light may ch"rrgl, b,ri ,rrrlos the
light volume is kept within the propo.'tions of the IGAS formula,
there will be no picture.
I-Illumination. We have established that light is essential for
any photograph. In order to build up yo,,r lightirrg for your
subject, you must start out with a main source of-lightl The main
source,of light-point, semi-difiused or difiused depending on the
wantedsffsg1-sgts as an overall light source, and should il-iuminate
the entire subject. This light source serves as the reference point
for calculating all the ratios before determining your Thu
position for this light is generally at a As--degree""poror".-angle. This Tuil
meansthat. the light should shine onto_ihe subject fio* a 4."5-deg.ee
height and be placed at a 45-deg.ee .ngle in relationshifr oflngular
the subjectto camera lens. If you use a humar, figrr" as a model and
shine your main source of illumination onto" the figure at tt;
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G-Gradation. The shadow side of your subject inust receive
more light. The fill-in, or balance, light may be provided by two
means.You can reflect your illumination light back into the shadow
portion of your subject by means of a white sheet, an open llook,
newspaper, or by posing your subject next to a wall. Fo, easier
control, another may be used. The light strength of this lamp -lamp_ is generally weaker _than your main source, or /-light. The G-light-an
is most often placed right next to the camera, so ihat there is
even fill-in of your light. You must be careful to see that the G-light-its
is thoroughly diffused. If it is not, it will produce shadows of
orrn. The multiplicity of shadow is annoying to look at and will
show you that there is proper lack of light control. you may use
a large lamp as strorrg as your main light for a fill-in, but the plu""-
ment distance must be much further away. Light varies geometrically
t_othe subject distance. This means that if at two feel your light
delivers one unit of light, at four feet it will deliver only orr"-q,r"ri",
of the amount of light. \tlhile the lights may appear pretty close
together to your eye, you should accurateiy *"r.,rr" d,istances
in order to assure yourself of proper light valuation. your subject
will now be properly illuminated for picture-taking, and you will
find that, as with all things, there must be one poirrt of interest.
This point of interest must be emphasized.Here is how it is done.
A-Accentuation. To accentuate your subject, it is necessary
that pr_ovidea concentrated, powertit iigt t source that _you 9,risp,
can be easily controlled within a very rimited ur"u." spotlights are
manufactured with masks and lenses which pl.-ii varied -accessory
sizes and shapes of light to_be placed in any small Jrea that you
may desire to accentuate. By now, you xr'--riowthat film has its
characteristiclimitations. In order to accentuateany portion of your
subject, you must bring more light onto that area. ff yoo
y_ourov€rall exposu_refor your accentuation light, then everything"ulc,rlate
else will be in shadow. Therefore, leave yo,rr-"*posure u, it *".
with your /Jight,- but strengthen your accentuation light in the
over-proportion oL 2 or 3 to I times that of your illumination
light. This will assure that your main subject wiil be produced in
thoroughly exposed and developed middle tones u"a shadows,
while the spotlight will delineate the accentuation point so th"t
it will be exposedand, developed in the highlight portiorrc of your
film. Since the eye always travels to trre hghter portion of the
picture, you will have provided the point of accentuation which you
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have desired. You will have been able to delineate and highlight your
subject so that it will have good tone gradation with an interesting
point of interest. You will find that your subject matter is necessarily
a part of a scene. If you leave your lighting as you have calculated
up to now, your subject will photograph merged against a wall or
area which will be black or dark. The hair of your subject will
merge with the dark shadows so that the improper background will
be disturbing and artistically undesirable.
S-Separation. In order to get the subject placed without a
I merger' it is necesary that you light your backgrorrnd so that it
will be truly distinct as part of the subject scene. Another purpose
of the separation light is to separate your subject from the sur-
rounding medium. This can be done in a number of ways, all of
which depend upon the basic fact that the fiIm sensitivity requires
a definite light volume balance so that the film can adequately
record light and dark.
. If you use a white wall and do not permit any light to fall
. on it, the wall will photograph black. IL L/L6 the amount of the main
light reaches the wall, the wall tone will get lighter, If the ratio
of light reaching the white wall is within 3 or 4 to 1, the wall will
photograph gray. If the light ration reaches I to 1, the white wall
only now will photograph white. A light is generally placed upon
the floor and shone upon the wall within the ratios desired, so
that your subject will be separated from the wall. If you place your
subject in front of a window you can control the amount of light
entering the room by using a Venetian blind which is gradually
closed until the proper ratio is reached; outdoors you may use
reflectors, using reflected skylight to lighten wall shadows. In
..qolor photography, the exposure ratio has an additional factor
- \la1 of suitable color contrast. This can be gotten by consulting
a color wheel.
Lrcnr: INvrnsr Squ,Lnr Law
It is important to understand the rules governing the dis-
tance of your light from your subject. It is far more serious to /' move a light from two feet to four feet than from l0 feet to L2
feet although in both cases the light is moved two feet.'::hil:"]'',1 Xlit;l:,"'.i:?*JT""n"*"'"T%T:li"
exposure ir 7/+ the amount. If your exposure was one second
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wirh the light at 2 feet, it will be 4 seconds with the
light at 4 feet.
2. when your light is moved from I0 feet to Lz feet, the
difrerence is only 20vo and,your exposure facto, *o.rid b"
Ll2 times or r second at r0 feet and rr/2 seconds at 12
feet.
3. Although the difierent light movement has been 2 feet in
both examples, in the criser distance, the exposure factor
is 4 times; with the further distance the factor is o"iy
It/2 times
4. great care in measuring your rights at very close T-uk" ""*posuie distances beca_useof signifi"uit difierences that
occur even with relatively small movements.
5. color film regui."s precise measurementto the point where
a ruler must be used for flash-to-subject measurement to
insure proper exposure.
6' If- you cannot- move yo,ur rights, then prace one crean
white handkerchief ovei the larip to ,"d,r"" by a/ztrr"
able_light, 2 handkerchiefs f.oi t/a, and g "haidt erchief""r"il- tor a/s light reduction. Tiri, knowledge t- i-p;;- -outpur
tant for outdoor flash fill-in. Since, in most cases, you
cannot remove the flash from the camera, you may use ' as r_any handkerchief layers as is necessaryio reduce the
flashlamp'slight until it balanceswith your sunlight ratio.
. The popularity of 35mm coror film has brought the request
for more color information. you must realize that no matter how
*?ny books are written about color, the basic factors to be con-
sidered ara the narrow limitation, of th" photogruphi" emulsion
to record li_ghtratios only up to a 4 to I volurne. fh"^d"r"r*i;i;;
of what colors to use is- covered in chapte;-;l-. Thar ;;ii
show you how to calculate your color co'ntrastsso that "h";;",yo,, *ilI b"able to get the maximum eilect.
As color film is very expensiveo you wil want correctry ex-
posed pictures every time. Tir" care and consideration that you
takS jn lighting your films will be rewarded wiih bener pioJ.*
and lewer failures. when you take preriminary care in your right
ratio photography, you can be ,ore'of a high f"r""rrtug" of suc-
cessful pictures' once you understand how tJ riirrt a picturer |ouwill -be delighted by the countless variations *-hi"h *r" por"iilt".
By altering the angle, the type or quantity of light, for the I, the G,
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the .{ u4 s, you will be able to easily change the meaning of the
picture. This control lifts photography from a mechanical science
to an art. You will your own technique and your own ,develop
preferencesl you will longer be dependeni rpo., any set of _no
lights or a camera. You will discover that there are two types
o{ people. one person will try to specifically duplicate
shutter speed, openings and lights to the i"ch. Fiis efiorts" "u-"r",will be
rewarded_with just a duplicating efiect. The other person will know
what to do and will so arrange any light, any subject
with the teachings of the universal LABS "nyformula"u*"ra,that his efiorts
because of his flexibility will produce something greater than a
photograph-a picture.
CHAPTERr8 / S_SUBJECT COMPOSITION
The L-,r\-B portions of the universal Formula have taken care
film, type oJ light-source, right angle placement, barance "{ ro-"r
of lights, and even the correct exposureoyet you will stili not get
a worthy picture if your subject is not suiiably arranged.
Numerous books have been written, and numerous books will
be written as to what constitutes a pleasing picture. For simpliciry;s
yk", whateve_rpleasesyou is, for you, the most satisfactory pi"t,r.o.^brok"r,
There are rules of composition, but like all rules they are
and need to be broken for efiect. you will find thai if
compositions are always made exactly to the rules, the pictur"r,"f-;;;,ufr",
a time, will be stilted and stale. However, the stanrlard rrries of
composition should serve as a base.
There is such a thing as style in a photograph. If you have
studied photographs of the acknowredg"d -uJ".., you can spot
their work without_any difficulty as th"y h",re u ,iil".
approach, and finish to their pictures. These difierent"hr."fteristiccharacteri.iic"
were not acquired in one day. In fact, at this point, it is helpful
to mention that as an amateur, you may taks one or two rolls
of film and find that perhupr o.riy o, two frames will meet
your requirements. Do not be discouraged,"rr. for the same thing
occurs with professionals. You naturally assumethat the publishei
work of the professional is the best. it is the best, bui of v"ry
many exposures.A group of 30 or 40 pictures may prodo"" 2 o.-i
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which exactly meet their needs. If this is the case, you can take heart
in realizing that photography, while being simple in mechanical
nature, still requires a combination of judgment and skill.
View your picture at intervals for a week, and you?ll learn
just how good it is by living with the picture. A simple rule of
composition is to divide your viewfinder into thirds both vertically
and horizontally. Place your center of interest (the main ."urot
for a picture) at the intersection of any two lines. Since very fine
lines are difficult to draw, you may place four pin-point dots drawn
by u fine crow quill pen with India ink. If you place your main
interest at a dot, you will find that your subject composition im-
mediately becomes dynamic (active) rather than static (monotonous).
With color, it is very important to mention that you cannot change
your composition after the picture is taken by means of enlarging,
cropping, etc. Therefore in composing for color, your composition
o'tight."must be There must be no waste of film area, eise your
produced image will be far too small for adequate projection.
Your composition may be built on the principle of a geometric
form such as:
l. Circle, semi-circlee concentric rings
2. Squares of different sizes.
3. S-curve.
4. Triangle or pyramid.
5. Cross.
6. L-shaped motif.
7. Uneven numbered similar patterns.
B. Diagonals
9. Converging or diverging lines.
No matter which motif (form) is used, your subject must, as
we have mentioned before, always have a center of interest. Your
ability to place the center of interest in an appropriate surrounding
is the measurement of your ability to produce fine compositions.
While many people have an innate sense of composition, the
mechanical choice of form may be taught and maste"red. r
When you have chosen the proper type of light, arranged
the angles of your lights, balanced your light volumes to your
film latitude, and correctly composed your subject, the only remain- ooclicking item is to your shutter." The result sometimes will be a
photograph. But, at intervals, you will amalgamate your technical
and subjective factors into a welded unit of creation which will
yield a masterful picture.
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cHAprERIe i ctosE.ups AND PARALLAX CONTROI,
The sportsfinder and the optical viewfinder of the Graphic have
been designed to frame your subject accurately at infinity and at
most middle distances. As the camera is moved closer to the subject,
you must reckon with the problem of parallax (difference of view-
point of the camera lens and the viewfinder). If you fail to correct
for parallax in taking a portrait: /our subject's head will be cut right
through the forehead in the finished photograph. Other pictures may
be poorly composed and generally not pleasing to the eye. With
color work, exact framing is of paramount importance because crop-
ping and enlarging are difficult with color film, at present. Because
of the framing accuracy required with color, your viewfinder as-
sumes a far greater importance at short distances. i
To help you correct for parallax, the newer Graphics correct
the open framefinder by scribed graduated lines on the side of the
front finder, and by a rotating, eccentric turning disc on the optical
viewfinder. The optical viewfinder corrects for both vertical and
lateral parallax because of this off-center opening; the open frame-
-fnder corrects for vertical parallax only because it is placed correctly
over the center of the lens. If the Safe-Set Method is used for close-
ups, then you should correct for parallax at the same time. Otherwise,
you may forget this important point and possibly ruin your film.
At extreme close-ups, your rangefinder does not function. There-
fore, other methods must be used to correct parallax and focus at the
same time:
1. Use a tape measure to determine exact distance from your
subject to the front of a supplementary lens which has been added
over your prime camera lens. If a tape measure is not available, you
can use a pre-measured string which is attached to the filter holder.
The subject is brought to the end of the string, the string is allowed
to fall out of the way, and as long as this pre-measured distance is
' maintained, you are in sharp focus.
Most regular lenses will focus with a rangefinder to approximately
three feet. Focusing at shorter distances is possible with the use of
additional front supplementary lens (portra, proxar, portrait). This
added lens has a positive power and is fitted over your regular cam-
era lens by means of a filter holder. This new portrait lens atrtersthe
point of focus of your lens so that very close subjects can now
be brought into sharp focus. Supplementary lenses, depending on
,strength, let you leave your camera focused at infinity while their
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optical correction permits you to take pictures as close as three inches.
For a Safe-Set procedure, ]ou can take a string and measure four
distarrces (39 inches, 20 inches, 14 inches, l0 inches) and mark each
one with a different colored tape. With a plus I lens, use the 39-inch
setting if the lens is set at infinity and the 20-inch setting if the lens
is focused for four feet. The plus 2 can be used for the 2O-inch set-
ting with the lens now set at infinity or for the l4-inch distance when
the camera scale is set at 4 feet. The plus 3 can be set with the l4-inch
mark 'ivhen set at infinity or at the l0-inch mark with the lens set at
4 feet.
While the focus has been determined, parallax must be corrected
by masking your viewfinder:
2. A focal frame provides an easy method of determining the
exact subject focus for set distances. It also frames your subj""t
curately at the same time. For certain forms of catalog work, the"c-
focal frame is the best method of focusing because fr"-e can
be built onto a regular light bar such as a Powell light."u"h As long as
all your short distance subjects are of the same size, the focal-frame
method permits a simple but rapid routine, sure-fire technique that
really fits into the Safe-Ser Method
3. Ground-glass focusing. The ground glass is the ideal method
for clo_se-upfocusing with your camera. However, it can be used only
for subjects that rvill not move during the time that it takes to open
the focus and close the shutter, etc. The slowness of the method may be
speeded up by the use of the press-focus lever which opens and closes
the shutter during {ocusing, without requiring any change in the
speed setting. It is advisable to use a double of ylur cam-
era for clo_se-upswhenever possible as any additional"*t"rrrion lens (supple-
m_ent_aryof any typ") may introduce the distorting optical factors
which are difficult to correct. A prime lens can be used-at very close
distances without any marked optical distortions. As the i"rm is
f:lrther away from the film when it is used to focus for a very close
distance, some exposure compensation must be mad" b""a.rre our
Iight must travel the greater distance. We know that as light travels
arithmetically, its intensity varies geometrically. In otheiwords, if
we double the distance that the light must travel, a four times increase
of exposure must be given.
Cr,osr-up ExposuRE Clrcur,lrrox
As has been stated, the speed marking for iris opening of your
lens holds true only at infinity focusing po]nt. As the lens il focosed
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for near distances (nearer than 31/2 feet), the lens is moved further
away from the film so that its final focusing distance may be con-
siderably more than its originally marked focal length. For example,
a lens of B-inch focal length must be placed 16 inches from the film
in order to take a picture that exactly duplicates the size. of your
subject. This is frequently written as a l:I relationship in that a
I'inch high subject will have an exact f-inch dimension on your
film. Since, however, the light must travel twice its former distance
twice the distance requires a four times increase in exposure. Now
that the need for an increase of exposure for any double extension
close-up has been established, the next step is to guide you to pre.
pare a pre-set exposure calculator to give you the correct formula
for most close-up distances. The illustrated scale should be cut out or
copied by means of transparent tissues onto a stifi cardboard so that
it ma1' be used with any of the lenses for which it is calibrated.
once the focusing adjustment has been made, take the front of
your ruler and place it at the edge of the infinity setting. Your track
infinity mark will now be opposite the place on the ruler which will
give you the increase factor. Let us assume that you have a six-inch
lens. Then read the exposure factor increase along a six-inch line. For
a four-inch lens, the exposure increase is read along the four-inch
Iine, etc.
If only one lens factor is needed, the scale may be enscribed
onto the movable track so that the exposure factor may be read cor-
rectly.
Make your iris and/or shutter corrections for the new exposure.
You will find it easier to use your pre-calculated and pre-set
exposure corrector than to try to calculate any new setting that may
occur.
with regard to close-ups in general, keep in mind the following
points:
1. For the positive_ supplementary lenses (portrait lenses) r ]our
exposure factor is not changed if the normal focusing scale is'used.
2. since the depth of field for any close distance is shallow
your^lens'to-subject distance should be measured accurately.
3. Be certain that your body or camera does not shield the
light from the subject. If this occurs the pictures will be under-
exposed.
4. Because ql relatively shallow depth of field, arways pose lh"
your subject parallel to your camera. A subject with a g."ui dlpth
dimension cannot be completely rnaintained in sharp oierall focus
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if it is placed at a 9O-degreeangle to the camera. But, by placing the
same subject in a plane parallel to the camera film, a sharper area
of focus will be assured.
5. Your tilting front may be used to increase the apparent
depth of field and can be used only with the ground glass.
6. After your exposure factors have been pre-set and focused,
view your subject through the viewfinder to see whether it is covered
entirely in the field of view, and then tilt the camera so that the
masked portion corrects the parallax.
cHAprER20 / coNTRoL oF PERSPECTTVE
AND DISTORTION
'Your
Graphic can be corrected for perspective and distortion'by
means of a rising, shifting, and tilting front standard helped by the
drop-bed feature of the track.
l. A rising front is used to diminish foreground so that a whole
building may be photographed without tilting the camera.
2. A shifting siandard permits the change of the side'to'side
position of your subject without moving the camera.
3. The tilting standard has two functions:
A. Wide-angle lens. When the drop bed is used with a wide'
angle lens, the front standard is tilted to make the lens parallel
to the film again. Be sure to raise the standard so that the lens is
re-centered.
B. Increasing sharp focus. The lensboard is dropped with your
regular lens in place (its formula must have a wide angle of view
to define sharper corners) and then raised so that it is correctly
centered. If the lensboard is tilted forward, the apparent depth o'I
field is increased.
If the camera is held on its side, the tilt efiect becomes, in essence,
a side swing. A lens is swung to increase the apparent depth of field
in a horizontal manner just as a tilt increases the sharpness vertically.
Increasing your sharpness by merely tilting your lens is of great
advantage in dim light because your picture may be taken with the
lens wide open whereas it would otherwise need considerable stopping
down to secure the same depth. In addition, greater depth is secured
for close-ups, by tilting the lens, where the normal optical efiect pro-
duces a very shallow depth of field otherwise.
1r0 :
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Facts about Color
All colors difier in three ways:
lA, IB, IC difier chiefly in hue, the difierence between rerl
and yellow, yellow and green, etc.
2L, 2B', 2C difier in ualue, the lightness or darkness of colors
compared with a scale from white to black.
3A, 38, 3C difier in chroma, the strength of a color, as between
a brilliant color and a grayish color.
Visibility and legibility are important considerations in choos-
ing color combinations. The greater the contrast in value, the better
the visibility and legibility. Greater contrast is produced by the use
of colors of strong chromas if they difier enough in value from black
or white or from each other. The best examples of this form of con-
trast are shown here: A yellow of strong chroma on black (4),
a blue of strong chroma and low value on white (5) r and a strong
yellow on a dark blue (6).
The Hue Circuit---This chromatic circuit shows twenty colors
so arranged that the complementary hues are opposite. Colors di-
rectly opposite each other give the greatest contrast. The following
are the nearest approach to general rules for selecting color combi-
nations (valueo chroma, and areas considered) " They are divided into
two groups: harmonious color combinations and contrasting color
combinations. Harrnonious color combinations are those employing
one hue in any number of steps of value and chroma, or using
neighboring colors: that is, two or more neighboring hues on the
hue circuit. Contrasting color combinations may be selected by using
one or more pairs of complementary opposites: that is, colors which
are opposite each other on the hue circuit. Three color combinations
may be chosen by the triad. If a triangle with two equal sides (T,20
3, and 4 on the hue circuit are a few examples) is drawn inside the
hue circuit, the colors which fall at the three points are called a triad.
Simuhaneous Cont7us5-fi,sgkgrounds have a surprising effect
on colors shown against them. This action is called simultaneous
contrast. The illustrations (7L,78 and BA, BB) show how the same
gray appears lighter against black and darker when contrasted with
white. The yellow and blue boxes show how differently the same
green appears against two different backgrounds, bluer in one case,il yellower in the other. Similarly, other combination will be influenced* by simultaneous contrast.
111
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Choosing the correct aalue antl chroma steps-This illustratiorr
(9), (I0), (11) shows the importance of choosing the correct value
and chroma steps in the use of complementary color schemes. When
complementary colors are used together, they have the efiect of
making each other more brilliant. If they are of the same value and
strong chroma, an unpleasant vibration between the two colors will
occur as shown in (9). If one color of a pair of complementaries
is weakened in chroma, the other will appear still trrighter by con-
trast as shown in (I0) and (1I). These three illustrations show the
importance of arranging the areas of the color properly. Equal areas ;
of color_ will give poor design. A small area of your strongest color
with a larger area of a grayed color or the reverse will produce
better effects.
PLATES COURTESY:IPI, INTERCHEMICALCORPORATION.PRINTINGINK
DIVISION"
II2
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FACTS ABOUT COLOR
Our studies of color can be standardi zed by clifierentiating
each color in three ways:
Hue. This is the distinguishing name of a color, such as
red, yellow, or green.
Vnlue. This means the lightness or darkness of a color as
compared with a white to black scalel for example: light
green, medium green, dark green.
Chroma. This indicates the brilliance or purity of a color
after it is toned down with gray; for erample, orange to
brown.
Selection ol Color lor Special Eftects
Harmoniozs colors adjoin one another on the hue circuit
(color wheel); light green will harmonize with lemon yellow
or deep green.
Contrasting colors are directly opposite each other on the
color wheel; for example, lemon yellow contrasts with bril-
liant purple, or flame red with peacock blue.
Triudic color combinations can be made by starting a sin-
gle color and then drawing a triangle with two equal sides.
The colors'that occur at the three points of the triangle can
be used together. Lemon yellow, flame red, and peacock blue
or brilliant purple, orange and deep green are a few of the
possible triadic combinations.
Simultaneous contrasting color combinations enhance one
another beyond the usual degree of contrast when the pro-
portions of their sizes and designs are varied. By covering
the black square in the center of the wheel, the gray square
seems lighter; covering the white square makes the gray seem
darker. Illustrations 7A, 7B., BA and BB demonstrate this
clearly.
Greater contrast, as shown in illustrations 10, and rl, is
best produced by selecting colors of strong (brilliant) chroma
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7 : *
ERIILIANI PURPLE
Symphonic I BRtu.tANtvtotEl 5ymphonir
RedViolel SymphonitViolet BlueViolet
ll. Orttn tltu th e r. In c..
trtti Artists' Oolrtrs."
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that have marked difference in value. Some of the possibilities
are lemon yellow with black, ultramarine blue with white, and
light green with brilliant violet.
Similarity ot' chroma and ualue causes a competitive dis-
harmony that destroys the pleasant efiect (see illustration 9).
The chroma of one color should be weakened so that the other
color will appear brighter and more dominant by comparison.
visibility and legibility results when colors are chosen that
have the greatest contrast in value, In illustrations 4, 5o and
6, it can be easily seen that a high, almost white, dilution
contrasts best with a color of strong chroma (brilliance)
which is without dilution (or vice versa).
Application ol Color to Photography
The three dimensions of color - hue, value, and chroma -
must be applied efficiently when making a picture because
color ha.rmonies and contrasts are just as important in secur-
ing the final effect as are the technical and composition factors.
For instance, a movie of children should be decorated with
colors of light value, whereas a drama is usually costumed and
decorated with colors of darker value. You will fiird it help-
ful to spend a day at a museum of art where you can study
the many practical and difierent applications of the color
theory.
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CHAPTER 2r / COLOR BALANCE
It is- -vefr easy to learn pjop-". randscape color barance by -
studying Mother Nature. you will ul*ry, find ihat the backgrounds
of your color slides are blue and the foregrouncls lean towards
the reds.
should be blue to appear normal. Blue colors _Backgrounds
are known as receding colors.
Foregrounds may be red. The warm corors are known as ad-
vancing colors. Ttrhile a sunset is further than your mountains, the
warm color leaves you with the impression of closeness comparecl
to the nearer (in miles) mountain.
contrast can be chosen bv selecting complementary colors on
your color wheel (hue circuitj.
warm tones are colors of red or orange. To further warrD
a color, adcl more of a warm color.
' cold tones are colors of blue or green. To further cool a
color, add cooler colors.
Direct opposites on a color wheel generalry harmonize.
1. . Equal subject color areas produce competing areas of at. - traction.
2. unequal subject color areas are desirable to provide a
center of interest.
3. outdoors if your sky varue-is too high compared to your
j;' subject value, then the higher contrlst will alway,
the center of interest. wait for a hazy sky to l#er the
contrast and so shift the attention to your subject.
This is the era of color, but the full potentialities are yet to,
be fully realized. The subject is so vast that this text can'r"ro,
only as an introduction to further study. Practical considerations
have been given priority in cirder to ii r" sufficient inforrnation
about basic color theory so that yor, rse this material in every-
day picture-taking. "ur,
Before any house is built, a foundation must be formed. simi-
larly the foundation for color must start by breaking ao*r' lt
complex mixtures to the elementary colors in their siriplest form."
The building-block colors are known as primary collrs. There-
are only three primary colors, but these may be oi trno types:
113
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