When I first started doing human color analysis back in 2004, the only way to do it accurately was in person. This was because cameras and screens (unless you had professional equipment) didn’t give you an accurate picture to do a good job. Fortunately, with significant advances in cell phone cameras, these now produce excellent images, making it easy to do personal color analysis online.
I started experimenting with online personal color analysis methods in 2014 in my 7 Steps to Style program and have spent the last decade developing and refining my methods. The good thing is that I had the pleasure of meeting a few of my online clients in person while I was away, which meant I was able to confirm that their color palettes were correct, as well as the signature colors I chose for their photos. To know that my online color analysis system is working properly.
Now, there are many apps that use AI (artificial intelligence) to analyze colors, based on a single photo you upload. But in my experience (and I have tried myself to see how well they work), the answers are often not accurate, and there is no minimum I have created in my Absolute Color System – 18 palettes based on the science of color properties, so it has more variety and accuracy than annual systems. That’s also why I don’t analyze celebrities in photos, since those photos are usually photoshopped, and who knows if the celebrity is wearing a fake tan, or anything that has changed about their natural color.
I like to listen to a podcast when I walk my whips around the park, and another one I listen to regularly is The Hidden Mind.The other day, I was listening to this episode of Trust Your Doubt, and I loved the explanation that the guest, Bobby Parmer, gave about why experts actually want more information than beginners.I took a 30 second clip of the relevant part which you can listen to here:
How Does This Relate to Online Color Analysis?
When I do online color analysis, it’s a multi-step process. This is because I want to get you an accurate result. As Bobby Parmer says in the clip: “Looking at nurses, experienced nurses collected twice as much data as novice nurses when assessing…
Like many people, I’m sure, they would like a quick answer about their perfect color palette, I know that what matters to my clients is the right answer. Therefore, as a professional with more than 20 years of color analysis experience, I take the time to ask for more information, read more, and get more photos to make sure the result is the best for my client. I like it when my clients send me 20 – 50 photos. And in fact, the more I get, the more accurate my analysis is (and of course, the better the quality of the photos, the easier and faster this process becomes) since cameras can distort colors a little, but when I look at more photos, I see patterns and nuance.
Since I just finished running a personal color analysis course (the next one starts on April 27th if you’re willing to read), I always stress to my students that they should ask for more photos. Often, they hesitate because they worry that asking for more shows their lack of knowledge. It was good to hear that research shows I’m not alone in wanting more, as people with more information often spend more time learning to make better decisions.
If you are looking for accurate online analysis, rest assured, it is possible with a good program and high quality training. If you would like to find your best color palette, no matter where you are in the world, here is a link to my online color analysis services.
