A Photo Teacher |

Color Processes |

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Color Wheel

Each color is composed of equal amounts of the adjacent color

Each color is complementary to the color that is opposite

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Additive Process

With the additive process, separate colored lights combine to produce other colors.  Process found in televisions.

Additive primary colors are Red | Green | Blue

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Subtractive Process

With the subtractive process, colors are produced when a dye or pigment absorbs some colors of the spectrum and passes on only part of the spectrum.  All modern photographic materials utilize the subtractive process.

Subtractive primary colors are Yellow | Cyan | Magenta

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Color Materials |

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Color Negative

• Produces an image that is the opposite in colors and density of the original scene
• C-41 process
• Advantages in using include greater exposure latitude and lower film and processing costs
• Disadvantages include the need for color darkroom or film scanner for image processing and photographic prints

Color Transparency

• Produces an image with the same colors and density of the scene
• E-6 process
• Advantages in using include true replication of scene and the ability to see the image once processed
• Disadvantages include higher film and processing costs, minimal exposure latitude and color darkroom or film scanner for making photographic prints

Digital

• Produces an image with relatively the same colors and density of the scene
• Advantages in using include no need for analog color darkroom processing equipment and materials
• Requires the need and use of digital imaging technology and equipment to post-process images, including computer, image processing software and a digital output device such as an inkjet printer

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Color Film Structure

Color film consists of three layers of emulsion, each sensitive to blue, green and red.  During exposure, light from each color produces a latent image on the emulsion layer, resulting in three superimposed latent images.  During development, each latent image is converted into a metallic silver negative image.

Color Negative

With a color negative image, a colored dye is combined with each black and white negative image.  The dyes are cyan, magenta and yellow (complements of red, green and blue)  The silver images are then bleached out, leaving the three layers of negative dye images.  The color negative has an overall orange color or “mask” to compensate for color distortions that would occur in printing.

Color Transparency

The positive color image of a transparency is created by a reversal process.

Digital Capture

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Color Temperature and the Color of Light

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Click on the Adobe Acrobat PDF file to download: Color Processes and Materials.pdf