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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →These ten photographs from the 2026 Amateur Photographer of the Year “Celebrating Colour” round show how colour can do more than make an image vivid: it can set a mood, guide the eye, create structure or make an ordinary scene feel unfamiliar. The collection ranges from saturated portraits to quiet pastel landscapes, with composition doing as much work as colour itself.
Jessica Miller’s 17 September 2026 feature presents the round’s top ten, alongside selections from Young APOY and camera clubs. Its examples make a useful point for anyone looking for examples of colour in photography: colour is most effective when it has a job. It may isolate a subject, establish a warm-versus-cool contrast, build a pattern or simply hold back enough to let a scene breathe.
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Ten colour photographs, and what makes each work
1. “A Framed Glance” — Trevor Lake, category winner, 100 points
A woman appears through a taxi window across a busy road. The cool, muted blues of the sealed car interior set it apart from the warmer street outside, while blur and the window frame make the fleeting view feel private. Guest judge Barry Lewis describes the effect: “Using colour and blur we are drawn into the intimacy of another life.” Lake’s caption lists a Fujifilm X-T4, 85mm, 1/125 sec, f/1.8 and ISO 2500.
2. “Something to Laugh About” — Trevor Lake
Dyed hair and large orange earrings give this close portrait immediate colour, but the sunglasses and the subject’s expression keep it from becoming a study of accessories alone. The strong hues reinforce the portrait’s direct, playful energy rather than competing with it. The caption lists a Fujifilm X-T4, 13mm, 1/250 sec, f/10 and ISO 160.
#1 Best Overall
3. “Little Steps” — Sirsendu Gayen, 80 points
A small figure moves through the yellow-and-orange geometry of Jaipur’s Jantar Mantar. The architecture supplies repeating shapes and colour; the person gives those shapes scale and a point of human interest. The image shows how a restrained focal subject can make a large, visually busy setting easier to read.
4. “Pink and Purple” — Charles Ashton, 70 points
Pink, purple and violet make a comparatively subdued palette, with a red doorway providing a sharper accent. Rather than relying on spectacle, the photograph finds colour within an ordinary environment. Its caption lists a Fujifilm GFX100S with GF 32–64mm lens at 32mm, 1/320 sec, f/4 and ISO 1000.
5. “Between Earth and Sky” — Natalie Weigum, 60 points
A person standing in the flooded Salar de Uyuni is reflected in the water beneath a pastel sky. The broad open space and near-symmetry of the reflection make stillness and scale the subject; the soft colours support that quiet mood without crowding the frame. The caption lists a Nikon Z6 II, 24–70mm lens at 26.5mm, 1/8 sec, f/7.1 and ISO 100.
Rank #2
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6. “Study in Blue” — Graeme Youngson, 50 points
Swimmers viewed through a glass-bottomed pool become part of a graphic composition. A blue square, strong lines and areas of negative space turn a familiar place into an abstract arrangement. Here, the colour gives the frame unity, while geometry determines where the eye travels.
7. “Colour Full” — Peter Murrell, 45 points
Red clothing and lipstick stand out against cooler surroundings. Shallow depth of field softens the background and helps keep attention on the portrait, showing how selective focus can support a colour contrast instead of adding another competing detail.
8. “Day Blues… and Reds” — Jerry Wash, 40 points
Blue washing machines repeat across a laundrette, framing a woman dressed in red. The repeating forms make the everyday location feel graphic, and the single warm focal colour gives the symmetry a clear centre. The caption lists an Olympus E-M1X, 12–40mm lens at 18mm, 1/80 sec, f/4 and ISO 3200.
9. “Drying Incense” — Azim Khan Ronnie, 35 points
Rows of incense sticks create a dense, repeating pattern. Workers bring human scale and activity to that pattern, keeping the image from becoming purely decorative. The photograph’s colour is part of a larger visual rhythm: repetition establishes order, and people give the scene life.
10. “A Blue Tit Among Rose Hips in Autumn!” — Dr. John Mihopulos, 30 points
The bird’s blue and yellow plumage contrasts with the warm red rose hips around it. The colour difference helps the subject stand out within a natural setting. The caption lists a Canon EOS R1, 600mm lens with a 1.4x extender to 840mm, 1/5000 sec, f/5.6 and ISO 8000.
What these examples teach about using colour
Colour does not have to be loud
“Something to Laugh About” uses bold hues as a central feature; “Pink and Purple” and “Between Earth and Sky” show the appeal of gentler palettes. Vivid colour can create energy and instant emphasis, while softer colour can preserve atmosphere and make space in the frame feel more important. Neither approach is automatically stronger: the choice should suit the subject and mood.
Use contrast to establish a focal point
Red against blue is an especially clear strategy in “Day Blues… and Reds,” where the clothing separates a person from repeated cool-toned machines. The red rose hips around the blue tit provide another warm-cool contrast. A useful question while composing is: which colour should the viewer notice first, and what else in the scene might pull attention away from it?
Let composition give colour a structure
The taxi window in “A Framed Glance” creates a frame within the photograph; the blue square and lines in “Study in Blue” organize the scene geometrically; and the repeating incense sticks establish a pattern in “Drying Incense.” Colour can attract attention, but framing, lines, repetition and negative space help direct it.
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Give people and animals a role beyond adding colour
In “Little Steps,” a person makes monumental architecture legible at human scale. In “Between Earth and Sky,” a solitary figure helps convey the vastness of the flooded landscape. The swimmers in “Study in Blue,” workers in “Drying Incense” and bird in “A Blue Tit Among Rose Hips in Autumn!” give their surroundings a focal subject, a sense of movement or both.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.More selections from the round
The feature also describes Adrian Kaletta’s low-angle view of a flower installation, Andrew Sanfilippo’s white-and-green modern building, Dorothy Slinkard’s pink jellyfish against blue, and Lilien Bodo’s sunset silhouette. Camera-club selections include crayons against red, a bluebell woodland, a blue sky above a yellow wall and a silhouette against a red building. Together, they extend the same ideas across subjects: a limited palette can unify a frame, a strong contrast can isolate a subject, and shape or silhouette can keep a scene clear when detail is sparse.
Camera settings are context, not a recipe
The settings above are captions reported with the photographs, not independently verified test results or universal instructions. They vary with subject, light, distance and the photographer’s intent; for instance, a moving bird and a still landscape pose very different exposure challenges. The feature names a Fujifilm X-T4 for Lake’s two portraits, a Fujifilm GF 32–64mm f/4 lens for Ashton, and an OM System M.Zuiko 12–40mm f/2.8 lens for Wash. Those details identify the credited kit, not a requirement for making strong colour photographs. The feature also points to Park Cameras, but its prices and stock can change.
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