Life in full colour
A few years ago I became fascinated by colour theory. Leafing through countless books – I recommend The Secret Lives of Colour by Kassia St Clair and Color Problems by Emily Noyes Vanderpoel – I was thrilled by the idea that colours can make us feel, or even act, a certain way. Having had the pleasure of looking at thousands of beautiful images since the launch of Close-up Photographer of the Year in 2018 I have seen first-hand how colour can direct the eye around the frame, repel or seduce the viewer and how individual colours can seem to magically alter when placed next to complementary or contrasting hues.
It should be no surprise, then, that when it came to choosing a subject for the first themed CUPOTY Challenge in association with Affinity Photo, colour instantly sprang to mind. Photographers were asked to supply pictures where a single colour fills most of the frame, and they didn’t disappoint. More than 600 images were submitted, and together they form a veritable rainbow that has lifted my spirits during this bleak mid-winter period!
This year’s Close-up Photographer of the Year will be opening soon – for more details visit and sign up to our newsletter. All the shortlisted entries for the first CUPOTY
