This post is a continuation of my series on color, and you guessed it, this one is focused on the color: Yellow. 

Yellow can signify positive, negative, and neutral messages, but overwhelmingly, yellow is associated with happiness, energy, and warmth. Here are some ways that yellow can be used to improve your images.

1. Convey Warmth

This photo was taken on a gloomy, foggy winter morning, but as soon as the sun started to penetrate the fog, it changed the dynamic immediately to a warm image. 

2. Combine it with other Complementary, Analogous, or Tertiary colors to create different moods

Yellow/Green

Putting yellow and green together in a photo tends to have a soothing effect 

Yellow/Blue

Yellow and blue has a more cooling and fresh impact

Yellow/Red

Yellow and red convey warmth, but red can dominate so it's best to use it in moderation 

Yellow/Purple

Yellow and purple are complimentary colors, making for a dynamic combination because they play off each others intensity

3. Look for pops of yellow that nature so generously provides 

Our friend, the Banana Slug

Fall leaves

Lichen

Goldfinch

Honey bee

The sun

4. Use it to create an abstract image

Flowers and motion blur

Texture, shape, and light can help hold the viewer's eye, creating a compelling abstract

5. Use it as a dominant color when combined with a cooler tone

Yellow field of flowers against a blue sky

Red, yellow, and orange are dominant colors to the cooler tones of green, blue, and purple. Warm colors attract attention first, before the cooler colors do. 

6. Use a compositional rule, such as Rule Of Thirds to break up the colors and create a balanced image

Yellow and Purple wildflowers set against a Blue sky at dawn