Color Palette and Low Angle Inspiration with Gilmar Smith

Text and photos by Gilmar Smith

Color plays a big role when creating imagery. It is no secret that filmmakers use color as a tool to help them tell a story. It is a good habit for artists to learn the color wheel and how to use colors correctly. A simple picture can tell different stories just by changing the tones used. Also, a simple image can be transformed into something more engaging just by using a harmonious color palette. In this case, I am going to show you how to create simple studio images using color.

I am a big believer in making magic with whatever is available to you. The images below were taken in my living room, with rolls of seamless paper I already own and my go-to photography gear. 

Of course, these images would look a lot different (and boring!) if it wasn't for the colors I used, and that's precisely my point. 

Whether I am shooting portraits or creating a Photoshop Composite, I always make sure to plan my color palette in advance. You can do this in Photoshop or websites such as Paletton.com, Coolors.com, and plenty of apps. Colors can easily make or break an image. I used to find myself staring at pictures, not sure why I didn't like them only to figure out later that the colors in them clashed! So, whether you are a landscape, street, portrait, or fashion photographer, pay close attention to the colors in your images. Keep in mind that adjusting or changing colors in Photoshop or Lightroom is a piece of cake, and it will transform your images from boring to scoring!

The Platypod is a great tool to use when shooting tabletop portraits. I have always been a fan of Platon's work. If you study his images, he tends to shoot his subjects from a low angle for a very powerful effect. I have also seen fashion photographers using that low angle perspective a lot lately.

So, combining my addiction with color and those powerful low angle examples I mentioned, I created the images in this post! Here’s a list of the gear I used.

• Camera: Nikon Z7

• Lens: 24-70mm f/4

• Lights: Elinchrom 

• Platypod Ultra