Basic Photography Course

C303.73

Figure 12-1.Mixed beams of the three primary colors of light.

(fig. 12-1). When you overlap red and green, yellow is
created; green and blue, cyan is created; blue and red,
magenta is created. In the area where all three light
primaries overlap, you, of course, have white.

In the actual production of color prints, you should

remember that

yellow is greenish red;

cyan is greenish blue; and

magenta is bluish red.

The above information should help you remember

the colors of light that make up yellow, cyan, and
magenta, which are the light secondaries. Light
secondaries are the colors produced when two light
primaries are mixed.

Additive Primaries

Now that you have an understanding of light

primaries, they will be called the additive primaries. The
name additive primaries indicates that certain colors of
light can be added together to create distinctly new
colors.

As explained in chapter 2, color films and papers

have three separate emulsion layers that are sensitive to
red, green, and blue light. Because the emulsions are
sensitive to the additive primaries, they can record all
colors. In the three emulsion layers, three separate,

superimposed images are formed and when viewed
together, they give a full range of colors.

The color formation, however, is not direct; for

example, in a color print, a cyan image is formed in the
top or red sensitive emulsion layer, a magenta image in
the middle or green sensitive layer, and a yellow image
in the bottom or blue sensitive layer. These three colors
or dyes-cyan, magenta, and yellow-are what produce
the colors we see when we view a color print. These
colors-cyan, magenta, and yellow-are called the
subtractive primaries.

Subtractive Primaries

Keep in mind that the additive primaries-red,

green, and blue-are the basic starting colors from which
all other colors of light can be created. When you are
working with light, the additive primaries produce all
the other colors; however, they will not do this as dyes
or pigments; for example, blue and green dyes cannot
be mixed to produce cyan, though blue and green light
can.

For dyes and pigments, another set of primaries are

needed. This other set of primaries happens to be yellow,
cyan, and magenta. Dye couplers are what form the
colors within a color print (or film). The dye
primaries-cyan, magenta, and yellow-can be used
separately or superimposed (mixed), one image over the
other, to produce other colors; that is,

cyan + magenta = blue;

magenta + yellow = red; and

yellow + cyan = green.

The colorant primaries-cyan, magenta, and

yellow-are called the subtractive primaries because
they subtract certain colors from the light falling on
them.

Anything that is colored is subtracting something

from white light; that is, an object appears a certain color
because it is subtracting or absorbing a certain other
color or colors from the light falling upon it; for
example, an object that appears

red subtracts green and blue (cyan) light;

green subtracts red and blue (magenta) light;

blue subtracts green and red (yellow) light;

magenta subtracts green light;

cyan subtracts red light; and

yellow subtracts blue light.

12-2

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Basic Photography Course

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DOFMaster for Windows On-line Depth of Field Calculator DOFMaster for Mobile Devices On-line Depth of Field Table Hyperfocal Distance Chart Articles FAQ Recommended Books Support Contact Links Home As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.	contents <- previous page next page -> C303.73 Figure 12-1.Mixed beams of the three primary colors of light. (fig. 12-1). When you overlap red and green, yellow is created; green and blue, cyan is created; blue and red, magenta is created. In the area where all three light primaries overlap, you, of course, have white. In the actual production of color prints, you should remember that yellow is greenish red; cyan is greenish blue; and magenta is bluish red. The above information should help you remember the colors of light that make up yellow, cyan, and magenta, which are the light secondaries. Light secondaries are the colors produced when two light primaries are mixed. Additive Primaries Now that you have an understanding of light primaries, they will be called the additive primaries. The name additive primaries indicates that certain colors of light can be added together to create distinctly new colors. As explained in chapter 2, color films and papers have three separate emulsion layers that are sensitive to red, green, and blue light. Because the emulsions are sensitive to the additive primaries, they can record all colors. In the three emulsion layers, three separate, superimposed images are formed and when viewed together, they give a full range of colors. The color formation, however, is not direct; for example, in a color print, a cyan image is formed in the top or red sensitive emulsion layer, a magenta image in the middle or green sensitive layer, and a yellow image in the bottom or blue sensitive layer. These three colors or dyes-cyan, magenta, and yellow-are what produce the colors we see when we view a color print. These colors-cyan, magenta, and yellow-are called the subtractive primaries. Subtractive Primaries Keep in mind that the additive primaries-red, green, and blue-are the basic starting colors from which all other colors of light can be created. When you are working with light, the additive primaries produce all the other colors; however, they will not do this as dyes or pigments; for example, blue and green dyes cannot be mixed to produce cyan, though blue and green light can. For dyes and pigments, another set of primaries are needed. This other set of primaries happens to be yellow, cyan, and magenta. Dye couplers are what form the colors within a color print (or film). The dye primaries-cyan, magenta, and yellow-can be used separately or superimposed (mixed), one image over the other, to produce other colors; that is, cyan + magenta = blue; magenta + yellow = red; and yellow + cyan = green. The colorant primaries-cyan, magenta, and yellow-are called the subtractive primaries because they subtract certain colors from the light falling on them. Anything that is colored is subtracting something from white light; that is, an object appears a certain color because it is subtracting or absorbing a certain other color or colors from the light falling upon it; for example, an object that appears red subtracts green and blue (cyan) light; green subtracts red and blue (magenta) light; blue subtracts green and red (yellow) light; magenta subtracts green light; cyan subtracts red light; and yellow subtracts blue light. 12-2 contents Basic Photography Course <- previous page next page ->	As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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