Finding Creativity Through Color | By Harmony Chamberlain Harrington
If you’re anything like me, you love a good photo series or project. They get me excited, help me generate ideas, and motivate me to take photos even when I might not feel like it. Nothing is better than seeing the whole collection together as it grows. One of my favorite projects to do each year is my Color Self-Portrait series. It’s all about finding creativity through color.
The Beginning of a New Project
My first color project actually wasn’t self-portraits. It was photos of my then 2-year-old daughter and balloons. It was very cute, but I quickly learned I couldn’t always guarantee cooperation, which made things tricky. With that in mind, when I had the opportunity to participate in another group color project, I decided I would be the perfect, far more cooperative, subject.
My theme the first year was just fully embracing the colors themselves. It was a crazy idea I had that I thought would be fun. I bought the cheapest, best-looking wigs I could find in every color of the rainbow. I gathered a whole color spectrum of hats and sunglasses over the course of the year. I sourced clothes from wherever I could, including my husband’s closet. I also hit up the craft store for different glitter and confetti to make matching overlays. I shot most of the photos against a beige wall and then changed the background color in post. There were a lot of things to figure out as I went, and it was not without its challenges, but in the end I had so much fun that I wanted to do it again.
How the Project Has Evolved
Year Two
The next year I wanted something a little softer and less over the top. Since the colors themselves had been my theme the first time, I added an additional theme of flowers/plants to my project. Then to change things up, I decided to ditch the wigs and outrageous colored lipsticks and go for something a little more natural. Instead, I used the colors more subtly in my eye makeup. I also decided to save myself the trouble of editing my wall each month, which had been time consuming, and gathered fabrics and blankets to use as backdrops. Honestly, I did get a little bored with this one before the year was up but having it as a project motivated me to see it through, and I did love seeing them all together in the end.
Year Three
When year three rolled around I knew I wanted something a little more fun and outrageous. I missed the over the top-ness of my first year, which meant the wigs and lipsticks were coming back, but I couldn’t just do the same thing again. I brainstormed a bunch of different ideas, until it hit me – CANDY! Ironically, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but the color options are endless, and it was too fun of an idea to pass up. This year was the best of both worlds from my two previous projects, combing the outlandishness of year one’s wigs and makeup with the practicality of year two’s colorful backdrops.
Once I finished the first photo in the series, I noticed the way I had placed the candy looked a bit like it could turn into stop motion animation, so I decided why not? I taught myself the principles of stop-motion, and created a digital version, where I moved the candy around just slightly, until I ended up with dozens of slightly different versions of the same photo. Then I would upload them all into a video making app and watch them come to life. This wasn’t always easy, and there were a few of them that took me several tries to get right, but they were worth sticking with for the final result. It ended up being my favorite color project to date.
Year Four and Beyond
This year begins year four this project and I have no intention of stopping anytime soon. This year’s theme involves colors and shapes. Each photo will have a forced perspective set piece made from cardstock. I have about half of the year figured out already and regularly brainstorm more ideas. It’s shaping up to be my biggest and most ambitious color project to date, but I love how it keeps growing and changing. I’m sure the lessons I learn this year will influence future color projects and my work as a whole. I’m really excited to see where it goes!
The Benefits of Doing a Color Self-Portrait Project
Over the years, I’ve learned so much from my color projects and they’ve deeply influenced the rest of my work. First and foremost, it’s encouraged me to laugh at myself and have fun, because let’s face it, no one is going to look amazing in every single color – especially when there’s that much of it.
It’s made me more creative and less afraid to take risks. Creativity is one of those things where the more you use it, the more you have. And when you embrace looking a little bit silly, you’re more likely to be willing to go out of your comfort zone. Once you move out of your comfort zone, that’s when the real magic happens.
It’s contributed to the use of color in my work. Color is one of my favorite storytelling elements. When I regularly surround myself with it, it’s more likely to be at the forefront of my mind.
It’s also a good reminder that there are so many ways to interpret the same idea. The colors may repeat over the years, but the photos never look the same because there are so many different ways to create with them. And really, that goes for the vast majority of other photo ideas you may have as well.
I’ve also noticed so much growth in my photography overall. Looking back from my first project to today, I can see how much my work has changed and improved overtime. Forcing yourself to take that photo every month, experimenting, and solving challenges on the fly will lead to growth overtime.
All in all, the options and opportunities that come along with a color self-portrait project are endless. It’s something that can be as simple or complex as you want it to be, but it’s pretty much guaranteed to get your creative juices flowing, and it can also be a whole lot of fun. I encourage you to get in front of the camera and explore all the colors of the rainbow!
