For a brand photographer, colour is quietly doing the selling on every logo, every website and every brand client, and most of us never chose it on purpose. Our guest works with colour for a living, and what she reveals about how people react to it will change how you look at your own branding.
If you’ve ever watched a brand client arrive on shoot day in something that just doesn’t work, there’s a simple step that prevents it, and it happens long before anyone picks up a camera. You’ll also hear about the cheap piece of kit that saves a commercial photographer hours in the edit, and what you should be wearing yourself.
If how you present yourself matters to you, we went further on it back in Styling Yourself as Part of Your Brand.
00:02.75
Sam Hollis
Hello listeners and viewers and welcome to another episode of Commercial Photographer. Today, I’m speaking to Karen Peters-Amflit, who is a personal stylist. Hi, Karen. Welcome to the show.
00:17.13
Karen
Hi, good morning.
00:18.99
Sam Hollis
And for those of you not on YouTube, it’s very colourful behind. Karen with lots of coloured cloths and she’s looking very colourful as well. um Yeah, excellent. So we’re going to talk about… Colours, aren’t we? I think and in all sorts of different ways.
00:37.45
Sam Hollis
Excellent. so We’ve talked to a couple of stylists for on the show, not for a while though, and we’ve kind of talked about, yeah, styling for photo shoots. and and that sort of thing but i think we’re going to talk a little bit different about colors um We’re going to come into that a bit, but I think the main thing we’ll talk about, isn’t it, is kind of colours and how people perceive colours, especially around your kind of marketing, your branding, your…
01:00.99
Sam Hollis
logo you’re the way you put yourself across and colors have a big impact there don’t they
01:02.74
Karen
Yeah.
01:06.09
Karen
Yeah, huge impact. and what people have done understand so much about colour is there’s so much that comes with it rather than just what you wear. Calla reacts and behaves in two ways.
01:17.30
Karen
When… we see a colour, we have a neurological response and that is to release the hormone. So various colors release different hormones. so when we wear them for example like i’m wearing red today that releases adrenaline So it’s known as the colour of energy because it will give you a bit of an energy boost.
01:33.57
Sam Hollis
Okay. And so is that the same for the person who’s looking at you or just for the person who’s wearing it?
01:34.21
Karen
but
01:37.75
Karen
Yes. Yes, exactly the same. So when we see colour… we do also receive that kind of energy boost as well. but also our subconscious kind of relates back to things. um maybe whether it’s in our past, but there’s also ways that we perceive colour ourselves.
01:56.49
Karen
So whereas red can give you that energy boost and it does pick up confidence. It’s also a colour that… signifies danger Because… We related. to red.
02:07.55
Karen
Sorry, warning signs.
02:09.53
Sam Hollis
Yay.
02:09.46
Karen
You know, we relate mates to things like… fire, stop signs, hazard signs, things like that So the way that you can be perceived. also colour also impacts on that as well.
02:20.63
Sam Hollis
Okay. so it’s kind of there’s all sorts of subconscious stuff going on there as well
02:24.13
Karen
Yeah.
02:25.69
Sam Hollis
Okay, interesting.
02:25.92
Karen
Yeah.
02:27.51
Sam Hollis
Cool, and so what about some of the other colours?
02:30.28
Karen
Well, my… colors. will release dopamine which is our happy hormone which is why you may have heard of something like the term dopamine dressing. and that’s kind of nerve about about using color to dress yourself happy. age So yellow releases dopamine but how we’re perceived with yellow is Happy. and positive.
02:50.100
Karen
um You know how we feel when we see like spring when the flowers come out and the daffodils and things like that.
02:55.85
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
02:57.05
Karen
It promotes that kind of feeling of happiness in us.
02:58.98
Sam Hollis
Okay.
03:00.07
Karen
And. So it.
03:00.13
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
03:01.45
Karen
Always, colour is always something to take into account when thinking about your branding first of all it’s about how you want to make other people feel when they see your branding.
03:08.72
Sam Hollis
Yeah. Okay.
03:12.63
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
03:13.86
Karen
Also the type of client that you want to attract. um
03:18.58
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
03:18.89
Karen
through color as well. how um How do you want to be perceived too? because It seems like… um going back to red again and energy you’ll notice that companies that use it are people like Coca-Cola.
03:33.64
Karen
a lot of coffee companies. um and that’s because they’ve got caffeine in which gives us energy so there’s sort of that link there. um whereas blue is perceived as the color of trust and loyalty and you’ll notice that a lot of banks and insurance companies their logo and bla branding is all kind of like blue because it’s that Trust us.
03:48.86
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
03:53.60
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
03:54.87
Karen
be loyal to us sort of thing so you’ll notice that
03:56.26
Sam Hollis
Yeah. yeah
03:57.68
Karen
people will have you know be aware of color psychology when they’re actually planning their branding
04:03.03
Sam Hollis
Okay. Excellent. So it comes in a lot. so And that’s so interesting because I’ve you’ve heard a little bit about that trust and that sort of thing before. but not the kind of feels. I don’t think many people are thinking about that when they’re thinking about their brand colors or if they’re making some kind of promotional video or whatever.
04:16.50
Karen
yeah
04:17.84
Sam Hollis
It’s the feel you’re getting across through the colors. that’s That’s quite interesting combined with the other things, isn’t it?
04:23.75
Karen
Yeah, because the blue again, it it’s um it releases oxytocin So it makes us feel quite comfortable. Calm. And that’s why we feel calmer when everybody’s water.
04:30.11
Sam Hollis
Okay.
04:32.54
Karen
um you know it’s that And it’s a really nice color to have light. you know in your lounge in bedding sort of like things like that because it’s a relaxing color so when we look at the color blue we feel Calm. as well so it’s about sort of like that.
04:46.01
Karen
you know making somebody feel something.
04:49.81
Sam Hollis
Okay, which is, yeah, it’s quite a different way to think about your branding, isn’t it? And I talk a lot when you do websites about, yeah, it’s about the feeling. The selling is all about how people feel and their emotional connection with it. But bringing the color into that is interesting. But how can you match that if you’ve got particular brand colors?
05:09.32
Sam Hollis
to stop How can you then kind of, you know, if you want to bring certain feelings in that maybe is different to your traditional colors, how could that work? Maybe your brand colors are red, but you want to do something a bit more calming for a particular promotion. yeah How can you kind of make that work? Is it issues if you kind of maybe have a blue ad, but you’ve got your big red logo where you’re kind of sending completely opposite messages?
05:30.45
Karen
It’s very difficult isn’t it because people will have their brand colours and they’ll have their hex codes and that’s kind of like what they’re actually sticking to.
05:34.13
Sam Hollis
Yes.
05:37.08
Karen
I think you know for me. I thought about all of that. before I decided on my brown colours.
05:43.29
Sam Hollis
Okay. Yeah.
05:43.98
Karen
It wasn’t, you know, I went into all of that before.
05:44.10
Sam Hollis
yeah
05:47.61
Karen
the minor piece. um because my main client base is women and i wanted to appeal to women um by nurturing and caring and That’s the type of stylist that I am. I’m very empathetic.
06:00.14
Karen
And then I picked orange because it’s the colour of transformation. so that’s what i do through science so i thought about that from the start so it’s quite hard When somebody’s got that, you know, they’ve got their branding and their colors and everything in place.
06:04.68
Sam Hollis
Okay.
06:13.48
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
06:14.96
Karen
on whether it’s something like… Blue could be used as a font. or something like that. um but it’s also getting the harmony of your colors together because you would know that if the colours don’t…
06:20.65
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
06:24.19
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
06:26.82
Karen
harmonize it can look clunky and it can look
06:28.43
Sam Hollis
Yes. Yeah, very.
06:31.45
Karen
out of place in it. It’s better probably to just leave it there rather than to try and add the color in for the sake of it if it doesn’t. blend with what you already have.
06:40.97
Sam Hollis
Okay. yeah so it’s going to be yeah because a lot of people won’t have thought of that and also maybe they did think about it they’ve got a particular color for particular reasons what you’re saying but maybe you’ve got a particular promotion which is a little bit different going down a different route so you need a different mood
06:50.23
Karen
Yeah.
06:54.30
Karen
Yeah. Yeah, but maybe you could add it into something. um You know how you have your primary and your secondary colours in your branding, is maybe you can add in another.
07:02.42
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
07:05.26
Karen
another sort of strand to that.
07:07.83
Sam Hollis
Yeah. but you’re right that the contrast of colors can sometimes i mean sometimes i review people’s websites locks and sometimes it makes your eyes hurt but Tracer. color combinations that they’ve gone for uh do you have kind of advice on that on color combinations because some people kind of see that straight away some people people find it quite difficult do you have advice on best ways to kind of find you know maybe you’ve got prime one color in your brand how you kind of work find colors to go with that
07:18.94
Karen
Yeah.
07:32.79
Karen
Yeah, the best way to do it is the colors that are most complementary to each other. is to google the color wheel um You know, good old GC.
07:43.50
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
07:43.56
Karen
She says they are, and the colour will.
07:45.31
Sam Hollis
Yeah, yeah
07:45.85
Karen
and it’s always the colors next to it. or opposite it that are the most complementary.
07:50.40
Sam Hollis
Okay.
07:51.65
Karen
for example like you’ve got red and green eroticists each other um And they’re the ones that are the most complimentary.
07:51.78
Sam Hollis
Right. Yep.
07:57.57
Karen
Or you look at it and you go in what’s called a triad of colours as well. So it’s the ones either side. And they’re always the most complimentary as well. so but it’s It’s hard because it’s not about… just the colors it’s about getting the undertone of the color right so that it harmonizes together so you wouldn’t want to hurt.
08:18.90
Karen
I did. Chris. warm red. with, sorry, a warm red. with a cool green. you need them to harmonize.
08:27.69
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
08:28.40
Karen
they They just hit against each other and they don’t harmonize and that’s what I do in color analysis is helping people with the colors that actually harmonize together. how to put colors together as well.
08:39.84
Karen
But you you find that.
08:40.23
Sam Hollis
Okay.
08:41.14
Karen
you know when you work with branding experts they will understand about colour and they can see themselves whether the colour harmonies off or not.
08:48.97
Sam Hollis
Yeah. Yeah. that’s it so yeah okay that’s good and then you are also clearly um personal stylist as well so obviously photographers a lot of the time are kind of helping clients they’re not stylists themselves butt.
09:03.27
Sam Hollis
they need to help the client sometimes sometimes the client’s really on the ball with this sometimes the client has their own stylist or sometimes a client will almost be asking for help or kind of turn up and you kind of
09:08.41
Karen
Yeah.
09:13.72
Sam Hollis
look at the way they’re presenting themselves and and it’s a bit challenging for photo shoots we say so i mean what i advice could you give photographers who are trying to help clients with that kind of help them Get that style right.
09:26.97
Karen
It’s… It’s really hard because… especially for startups. because you’ve gone from… quite often being within an organization so all of a sudden you’ve got to put yourself out there you on your own.
09:35.21
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
09:37.73
Karen
And it’s quite scary. I think… Sometimes it’s about having the conversation beforehand. because once they’ve turned up on the shoot, they’re nervous as it is anyway.
09:44.98
Sam Hollis
Yeah
09:48.49
Sam Hollis
Yeah. Too late, isn’t it?
09:49.53
Karen
and They… thought about what they’re bringing in and quite often i’ve seen it where people have just
09:53.09
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
09:55.22
Karen
Oh! this is what a way to work and they just kind of like bring everything so it’s having the conversation beforehand and really saying to them Think through. what you want to like what you want to project.
10:08.03
Karen
um and i think It’s about planning and planning out the whole shoot and saying, well what do you want to do they want to show different sides to them, for example?
10:19.30
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
10:19.27
Karen
and what they actually want people to. how how people want them to view them when they see those photos and on that website so i think it’s about having that conversation before And. Sometimes to know it sounds really, really basic. but It’s about having that conversation about turning up where things are ironed as well.
10:35.78
Karen
and quite often photographers to do with having a little steamer.
10:40.16
Sam Hollis
Yep.
10:40.92
Karen
Because sometimes… Also, people will have owned it, but the way they’ve transported it to you is they’ve just completely creased. I think the steamer is like…
10:49.37
Sam Hollis
Steamer is an essential piece of kit.
10:50.42
Karen
um you know, a godsend because it saves you hours. get that out on the edits afterwards. but yeah it really is about being head. and and something that I always say to people is How?
11:04.30
Karen
You know, how do you kind of want to project yourself how do you want people to sort of view you but You you can’t. go and be something else you can’t just go see a picture on pinterest and say like well i want to look like that
11:14.17
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
11:17.49
Karen
You have to go with you and what’s as natural to you.
11:17.76
Sam Hollis
Yeah. yeah
11:20.68
Karen
but The best. sort of version of you as well the most confident version of you too
11:26.61
Sam Hollis
That makes sense. And so do you think it’s worth kind of as, I mean, pre-meetings kind of photo shoots are really essential. I think it’s almost worth going through the wardrobe with them at that stage, be that on Zoom or in person. What do you think you’re going to bring in? Do you want to show me? Do you think it’s kind of worth going to that level?
11:41.21
Karen
I mean, it depends on how much time you have. photographer and it depends on how confident you are in that as well because that’s like a whole level of service and that’s something that I used to do for a photographer she used to have me in as part of her package
11:45.07
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
11:54.82
Karen
so that they would have a Zoom call with me before and I would help them with that aspect of it and help them plan their outfit.
11:55.47
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
12:01.40
Karen
It helps. you do also need to have an understanding. darling element. as well. um sometimes it’s a bit of just coaching before in terms of right you know Do you know what you’re wearing? and Have you got this planned?
12:13.27
Karen
Kind of thing.
12:13.55
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
12:13.73
Karen
um and i think Also it’s… and you know, you would know that. colors photograph really well. Sometimes. prints don’t photograph as well that can sometimes be a bit through this day.
12:27.60
Karen
but things like white doesn’t tend to like you know it But a certain colours are harder to photograph, aren’t they? and you know in the background it’s thinking about what you’re wearing and where you’re going to be for example.
12:38.94
Sam Hollis
Yeah. Yeah. That makes sense. And then a lot of people like to wear their brand colors as well or, you know, do makeup in the brand colors. Now, sometimes that can work and sometimes.
12:50.08
Sam Hollis
it cannot like you’re saying you’ve got to be yourself as well so if you’re trying to be yourself you’re trying to wear your brand colors but i mean what’s your thoughts on that kind of wearing your brand colors is that a good way to go
12:53.94
Karen
yeah
12:57.68
Karen
I’m laughing because… I’m laughing because this is what I did for my first brand shoot. Well, not actually my second brand shoot. well i The first time I did it all myself, not the photos, but I did the website and everything myself, it was awful.
13:09.72
Sam Hollis
Yeah. yeah
13:09.85
Karen
But you know, when you first start up and you just want to get something out there, I just did it.
13:12.42
Sam Hollis
Yeah. Yep. That’s it.
13:14.50
Karen
And then the second time I said, have my branding done. um I went a bit OTT. and looking back now. you have to try these things don’t you everything is orange think of blue
13:23.75
Sam Hollis
Yeah of course.
13:24.94
Karen
Everything was.
13:25.23
Sam Hollis
Yep.
13:26.39
Karen
And looking back now, I kind of cringed on it. I went a bit over the top. so Good. It’s good to have a note to it.
13:33.61
Sam Hollis
right but don’t go crazy.
13:33.63
Karen
But don’t. go crazy but also it depends on your style personality and it depends what you do because
13:36.84
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
13:39.98
Karen
As a colour analyst? I’m not gonna… Wear black. And I’m going to say, thank you. You know, I’m not going to wear. um things that aren’t my colours.
13:50.05
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
13:49.84
Karen
And I think I was so worried about wearing colours. clash with my brown palates but Have a nod to it. but I know, it depends on your personality.
13:57.30
Sam Hollis
Yeah. so So bear it in mind, but don’t go crazy.
13:58.16
Karen
if you’ve Got a big personality. Yeah.
14:01.18
Sam Hollis
Yeah, then you could…
14:01.68
Karen
And if you’ve got a…
14:02.04
Sam Hollis
you Yeah, some people can really.
14:04.65
Karen
Yeah. so Yeah.
14:06.88
Sam Hollis
Manage it, can’t let it beat you.
14:07.30
Karen
Yeah, like And I think it depends on what you do and who you’re… client is. If your client is sort of like… um you know, most of that. If you’re going through that one-to-one. Or, you know, if you’re going to a corporate industry, things like that, you know that you need to place yourself where your client is and what they would wear as well.
14:27.33
Sam Hollis
That’s it. Yeah. If you’re kind of being a… advising people who are a little bit different on social media you can kind of probably go a little bit crazy if you’re yeah helping people cope with trauma you probably don’t want to be going in there with a big Yeah, bright, zingy. Yeah.
14:42.77
Karen
Yeah. Whereas you know i had I had a client who had this.
14:43.27
Sam Hollis
Okay.
14:46.43
Karen
amazingly big personality and what she does is she and helps women show up. you know as then she’s like a confidence coach and helps when the child is then And so for her, she wore the most amazing outfits of real big color clashes and pink clashes
14:53.69
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
15:00.46
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
15:01.43
Karen
and it photographs beautifully. But it. Huh? And that’s genuinely her.
15:05.12
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
15:06.35
Karen
So it works. You have to be true to yourself and true to your brand as well.
15:10.10
Sam Hollis
Yeah, so you kind of… and you gotta so you gotta be happy the the the people you’re photographing have to be happy in what they’re wearing don’t they rather than feeling very awkward because that will come across so much in the photos, won’t you?
15:19.26
Karen
yeah you have to feel
15:23.54
Karen
Yeah, you have to feel comfortable. and in what you’re wearing and by comfortable i don’t mean like you know you’re joggers i mean like comfortable that you feel like game.
15:30.65
Sam Hollis
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 100 % that makes sense. Excellent. um so Yeah. Lots to think about there with ah with the styling and stuff and the colours. Any other places you think where you really kind of need to think about colours where often maybe people don’t and they forget about it and just will throw things out there?
15:51.98
Karen
havent It’s not so much. in photography of the website side of things but um Networking. as well when people go to networking.
15:58.73
Sam Hollis
Okay. Yeah.
16:01.05
Karen
um It’s all about those first impressions, isn’t it?
16:05.86
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
16:05.89
Karen
which obviously, wherever people see you, whether they’re seeing you on your website, on social media, or on LinkedIn, or at networking it’s about preventing yourself well.
16:17.25
Karen
in all of those instances. um and presenting your… brand how do you want it to be presented as well so it’s things like When I go to networking people will always say to me oh i love the color of that i love that and it’s always a good conversation starter rather than standing walk quickly by the coffee machine somebody will always approach me because i’m in color um so it kind of it
16:32.63
Sam Hollis
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
16:39.99
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
16:41.37
Karen
you know, use it to your advantage. People are naturally drawn to colour. and you know especially winter in a sea of black and grey and navy it’s always good to kind of like show up. with some colors on as well.
16:54.67
Sam Hollis
Okay. Excellent. And then you got any thoughts on kind of… in terms of photographers I guess, styling themselves, you know, turning up on photo shoots. Do you have thoughts on kind of that and the best?
17:06.23
Sam Hollis
best ways to approach that um you know i think a kind of very traditional approach is to wear black and discipline disappear into the background do you think that’s kind of the best way or
17:12.75
Karen
Dad.
17:15.15
Karen
and I… I think neutrals are quite a good idea. You know how I was saying about red? It could be a bit intimidating.
17:23.55
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
17:23.51
Karen
because red does. show that danger side, it can be a bit intimidating. um Nutrients are always good. meaning, you know, your whites, your greys, your navies, your beiges, anything like that, and black as well, because it feels quite sort of like common.
17:34.79
Sam Hollis
Yeah.
17:37.80
Karen
safe ground there but blue would also also be good because it’s got that calming sort of outside. But I think as well.
17:43.41
Sam Hollis
Okay, which is often really needed on a shoot, isn’t it? especially like a personal shoot, people are often quite nervous.
17:46.91
Karen
Yeah.
17:49.71
Karen
Yeah. um but i think think of the photographers that i’ve worked with um I appreciate people. dressing as themselves and showing off their personality as well.
17:59.92
Karen
but I guess it depends where you are shooting comes into play with it as well because if you’re doing headshots in offices or something you know for a big corporation or if you’re just in somebody’s home.
18:04.19
Sam Hollis
Yes.
18:11.14
Karen
You know, it’s it’s so different, isn’t it? But I always think if you’re in somebody’s hand, wear good socks because you might have to take your shoes off.
18:14.70
Sam Hollis
Yeah. now.
18:18.34
Sam Hollis
yeah yeah you don’t want to take your shoes off in fact you’ve got holes in your socks do you
18:18.39
Karen
just Yeah, where it could stop. You know, don’t happy Christmas, my son, in May.
18:25.66
Sam Hollis
All right. Excellent. cool good place to finish then i think is yes wear good socks always
18:32.19
Karen
Yeah. If anything else, like it’s up.
18:34.00
Sam Hollis
It’s like your granny used to say, you never know when you’re going to end up in hospital.
18:38.30
Karen
Yeah.
18:41.02
Sam Hollis
Okay, excellent. ah Thank you for that. Loads of really good things for our listeners there. Lots to think about, lots to share with their clients and to think about themselves there. brilliant if people do want to get in touch with you how can they do that
18:52.82
Karen
It’s Starred by KPA on Instagram or Facebook. And. My website is stylebykpa .com and on LinkedIn, I think it’s just Karen, who to don’t say.
19:03.91
Karen
Can you tell I don’t hang out on LinkedIn that much?
19:06.29
Sam Hollis
effect
19:06.40
Karen
I’m over it. More of an Instagram girl.
19:09.69
Sam Hollis
Excellent. And then obviously, if you’re at a networking meeting, spotting the person in red, you probably know who you’ve bumped into. um Thank you.
19:15.54
Karen
yeah You’ll probably be there.
19:17.33
Sam Hollis
Hey. Thank you so much for spending the time with us. It’s been a yeah been really great talking to you.
19:23.33
Karen
Thank you very much for having me
19:25.16
Sam Hollis
Thanks so much. Cheers.
19:26.39
Karen
Okay, thanks.
19:26.34
Sam Hollis
Bye then.
19:26.79
Karen
Bye.
