The Most Important Factor that Impacts Color Perception

Lighting is easily the most important factor when it comes to color perception. First, let’s dive into the science. Some of it may sound familiar if you’ve taken an art class before:

We can only see objects that reflect light into our eyes, and the color we see depends on the wavelengths of light that are reflected. When the visible spectrum is reflected equally, we perceive an object as white. When it absorbs most light, we see it as black. Color in light, unlike pigment, depends on the spectral energies contained in the light. Objects that appear red reflect the red energy while absorbing all others. Without the red energy, a normally “red” object will appear black. Light we perceive as “cool” includes more blue, whereas “warm” light is more yellowish light. The color of a light source can be described by measuring the relative powers of various wavelengths. As this spectral power distribution (SPD) changes, so does the way light is reflected to our eyes, which affects the colors we perceive.