Running Head: COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS 1

Color Photographs

Kaylee Bialozor

Central Washington University

COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS 2

Color Photographs

Photograph 1: Desperation

This is a one frame story using color symbolism to embody the story. According to the

lecture, a good narrative consists of a character, a complication, and a consequence. In most

instances, it is easier to either focus on the character and the complication or the complication

and the consequence. I feel this frame may include all three aspects of a good narrative. In the

frame, the character has a worried look on her face while being faced with an eviction notice and

overdue bills. In her desperation, she has turned to lottery scratch cards in an attempt to get

COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS 3

enough money to survive. The character lacks adornments such as makeup or jewelry and is

dressed plainly in brown with a worried or concerned expression on her face. The brown here

symbolizes poverty, roughness, and dullness which portrays the impoverished state the character

is in currently.

Red has been shown to raise people’s heart rates due to its intensity, and it can symbolize

the devil or danger. Thus, the red lettering on the eviction notice and overdue bills symbolizes

the complication of how the character’s lack of money is catching up with her and putting her in

danger. The green coloring on the lottery scratch cards symbolizes wealth, money, and good

luck, showing that the character hopes she will be lucky enough to find the answer to her money

problems through the lottery. This could be considered the consequence because it is the act

performed by the character in hopes that she will solve her complication.

Photograph 2: Roses

This photograph is an example of the

complementary colors color wheel

relationship which is one of the three

main categories of color use. On the color

wheel, the color red is directly opposite

the color green, making them

complementary colors. The green of the

stems and leaves complement the red of

the roses and the red shirt behind the roses

in this photograph. I wanted to ensure I

COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS 4

was able to get enough of the stems and leaves into the image so that the red would not

overpower the green. Furthermore, I desired to keep the photograph as simple as possible by

ensuring the only other features included the pale skin of the woman holding the roses and the

white wall behind the woman. In this way, the complementary red and green colors become the

main focus in the image.