Green is a great color on which to focus your photography because it is so common in the natural and man-made environments. There are also many different shades of green and it is vibrant, which gives a lot of life to photos, particularly when paired with complementary colors.

Your challenge today is much more vague than in previous days. Rather than assigning you a specific subject or type of shot, we’re leaving it up to you so long as your subject is green! With that in mind, we’ve got a few tips that will help you make the most of photographing something green.

Include a Complimentary Color

It’s one of the most basic principles of using color, yet one of the most powerful. Including a complimentary color to add pop to your green image can take the photo to a whole new level of interest.

When you think of green, your first thought of a complimentary color is probably red. But images of red and green can give off a Christmas vibe really quick. Instead, consider other colors that are complimentary to green, such as pink and purple, or even yellow or orange.

Go Green

While complimentary colors can add pop, going monotone and highlighting the various shades of green can result in a really interesting image as well.

The key aspect of going monotone is ensuring that you’ve got a strong enough variety of greens to provide interest to the shot. Including areas of shadow to provide additional contrast can facilitate this. Another option is to focus on texture, such as the veins in a leaf, or on lines or shapes, such as the branches of a tree, to bring in another element of interest, as seen below.

Make Unexpected Choices for Composition and Subjects

A valuable trick for increasing the interest of any image, but especially for one that is primarily one color, is to make unique compositional choices that increase visual interest in the shot.

Looking up, for example, as in the image above, brings in the elements of the tree trunk and branches to provide a break from all the green. It also allows you to include some sunlight in the shot, which breaks up the monotony of the tree’s canopy.

Photographing something green will immediately make you think of plants, but you should challenge yourself to photograph something else that’s green. A water pail, a mailbox, a car, or something else that is man-made can be an interesting subject that makes for an unexpected and unique image.

Practice and Participate!

Now that you’re armed with some practical tips for creating images of something green, you’re ready to get out there, find your subject, and shoot away. Remember that including a complimentary color can make your green subject pop. Of course, if you’d rather go monotone, that’s okay too! Just look for a variety of shades of green, as well as interesting shapes and textures to enhance the impact of the image. And, most importantly, make unique decisions when it comes to composing your shots and the subjects you choose. The more creative you are, the more impactful your image will be.

Once you’ve got your images, be sure to check out the forum for today’s challenge to see what other Photography Talk users have done. Don’t forget to add your images to the forum as well, so others can admire your work!