Color Psychologe for Head Shots
“The best color in the whole world is the one that looks on you”
Coco Chanel
Whether you are aware of it or not, you are constantly affected by the psychology of color. At a primary level, color can tell you in a few seconds whether something is dangerous or safe. Nature explains it all the time; the appearance of some plants and animals tend to be brightly colored as a warning for predators. But in developed society, color psychology tends to be a bit more complicated. Below are some examples so you can see how it can affect another person negatively or positively. There is also a simple guide about what colors will make another person feel. Take a few minutes to review your industry and to notice a color palette. Find out what colors companies are using and soon you will see a trend in the colors.
In ancient European and Asian culture people used color to heal – it’s called chromotherapy and today it’s being used in alternative medicine.
Different cultures view color in different ways but there are few givens. For instance, cool toned colors are green, blue and purple. Warm toned colors are red, yellow and orange. Cool tones tend to emit feelings of tranquility and calmness while warm tones can run from anger to warmth depending on their saturation.
Red, for example, triggers endorphins and can evoke feelings of excitement, passion or in some cases anxiety. Doctors or anyone in the medical field should never wear red or orange because it closely resembles blood. It’s appropriate for industries that are related to sports, entertainment and food.
Greens and blues on the other hand can be used to make people feel calm and safe — these are a better choice for professionals in those industries.
Blacks can evoke power, strength, stability or grief. Black is associated with power in how it relates to clothing. The CEO of the company wears a black suit or black dress. It’s also the color that can make you appear thinner.
White means purity, cleanliness and innocence. A bride on her wedding day wears white and when a baby is baptized, the suit is white. A white picket fence symbolizes a safe and happy home. Pure thoughts are often associated with white.
Yellow tells happiness and optimism. Its psychological connection to the sun suggests good times, happiness, warmth, and laughter and brings promise to the future. It’s mentally stimulating and jump starts the nervous system.
Business professionals will opt for neutral tones like gray, black, navy blue, and brown. These colors work for nearly every industry and can offer a sense of power, authority, stability, or loyalty. But is some cases these may actually be too safe. It’s best to combine these neutrals with some color in the outfit itself that will complement your own features and will gently guide the viewer to feel a desired emotion when they look at your headshot.
Try to avoid patterns!
Keep them to a minimum. The focus is on you and a classic look will help bring attention to the face. The color and pattern should complement the skin and not distract. Ties o accessories can have patterns but consider that the more colorful and larger the pattern the more focus it will pull away from you.
Before starting the photo-shoot, we can be a great resource when trying to decide between specific pieces or if you have a question about how a pattern or color will translate to an image.