Study#1986: Red Fishing Boat in Cove

It's Richer, not Lighter!

Here's one trick-of-the-eye from nature that fools many.

The effect is that rich colors can look lighter than what they really are depending on what colors surround them. If we are not aware of this effect, our mind's eye will misread the values.

Here's what happens. An illusion is created when surrounding color conditions cause rich colors to look lighter than what they really are. Consequently, if the artist is trying to capture realistic lighting, they make the value level of those areas too light.

Virtual Methods Reveal What's Going On

In the study viewer (left), click the following buttons to ensure you start from the beginning...

1. click the "white" button,
2. click the Overlays "OFF" button (left side)
3. click the Value Scale "ON" button (right)
4. now, click the overlay button "A".

Overlay "A" shows two areas. Area (1) points to the strong sunlight part of the red boat and area (3) points to the shadow reflection of the red boat in the water.

On a scale of 1 (darkest) and 8 (lightest), click on the value you think the shadow at area (3) is?

This one is easy. Click "1".

Having masked all value "1" areas in this study, you can see that the area labelled as (3) is masked out too.

Now, click on the value you think represents the sunny red part of the boat labelled (1)?

In this photo, you will find that the values of the sunny red area is mostly value "4" with some areas shifting to "5".

The above exercise was just a warm up to help you get familiar with the value contrast between the "reflected shadow" in the water and the "actual sunlight" on the red boat. The value difference is 4 steps.

Now, Let's Look Closely at the Illusion

1. click "A" again to turn it "off"
2. click "B" and study areas (2) and (4).

Area (2) points to the "shadow cast on the red boat" from a nearby wharf. Area (4) points to the "sunny reflection of the red boat in the water".

Before looking at the answer below, answer the following question...

What is the "value" difference between area (2) and area (4)?

A. no difference
B. one step
C. two steps

The answer is "A". Both areas are value "2".

3. click value "2".

The "sunny reflection" is richer, not lighter, than the "cast shadow on the boat". This kind of thing happens in nature all the time.

So What's Going On?

There are a couple of influences that come into play in this case.

One influence comes from our everyday life experience that is based on false assumptions. The brain assumes that water doesn't effect the perception of values that much. It assumes that even the reflected sunlight must be lighter than the shadow on the boat. Right?

No. The reflected value can be significantly impacted by water.

This is just a simulation demo.

You can try the real thing by downloading the trial software and using the virtual controls to study color effects in real time using your images.

However, the biggest influence in misreading value contrasts (hue and chroma too) is a phenomenon called simultaneous contrast. In fact, simultaneous contrast and it's cousin the after image effect are responsible for many "tricks-of-the-eye".

So why we are fooled by this particular arrangement of colors?

Well, let's take a closer look. We will use one of the virtual methods, called "mask by color pattern", to reveal what's going on with the values.

1. click the Value Scale "OFF" to mask-out all the colors

2. click "2" to mask-in just the value level "2" colors

3. click "B".

Now that you have removed the surrounding colors and replaced them with the "white" underlay, you can clearly see that areas (2) and (4) look like they are the same value.

Try squinting. It dulls the details coming in through our naked eye and shows the color "values" better. (If need be, click "B" again to turn the overlay off).

The Illusion

Ready for the illusion? Watch this!

Keeping the settings from above, click value "1" ON and OFF a few times.

Isn't it amazing! Once the slightly darker, dull shadow engulfs the "sunlight reflection in the water", the effect of simultaneous contrast of richer reds instantly makes the "sunlight reflection" look much lighter than what it really is.

It's an illusion. A trick-of-the-eye that fools many. The colors are richer, not lighter and this kind of thing happens in nature all the time. You can overcome it once you know what is going on.

And that, of course, is what virtual methods technology is all about. It helps you realize what's going on by using virtual ways to study these effects in digital photos in real time.

Digital Photos versus Real Life

Granted, digital photos are not real life, and there is nothing like real life.

However, if you like what you see in a good digital photo, it is more than close enough to use virtual methods to gain in-depth insight to color. Once you know why something looks the way it does, you know! Once you know why you were fooled, you know!

Gaining this knowledge using virtual methods only takes a fraction of the time that it takes using traditional methods. And eventually, you will recognize these things in real life.

And that's one of the biggest rewards!

Old or young, time is precious. If a tool like this can help us reach our full potential sooner, then it's worth the investment.

The key is to use virtual methods to study the "general" color effect patterns as they are distributed throughout the digital image.

For example, this demo simulates how the technology is used to assess the "value" patterns. It's the forest, not the trees, that matter overall. And for detail, you can use another virtual method to identify specific colors.

When you know that the "sunny reflection" is around 2 values steps darker than the actual value of the sunlight on the boat, then paint it that way. Otherwise, it will not look right.

Remember, the viewer knows there is something wrong even though they may not be able to express what it is.

Want to try the real thing with your own photos? Click the button below.



If you want to try another study, click on the small photo below.

STUDY#14:
Look! There's Color in those Shadows.