Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) Practice Exam

The saturation of color refers to the relative what of color?

1. shade

2. hue

3. brightness

4. transparency

The correct answer is: brightness

The saturation of color refers to the relative brightness of a color. In color theory, saturation measures the intensity or purity of a color. High saturation means that a color is vivid and strong, while low saturation indicates a more muted or washed-out version of that color. This concept is essential for photographers as it affects the mood and emotional response evoked by an image. By adjusting saturation levels, photographers can enhance or diminish certain colors to create the desired impact in their work. The other options relate to different aspects of color. Shade refers to the darkness of a color created by adding black, hue refers to the actual color itself (like red, blue, or green), and transparency pertains to how much light passes through a color. Understanding how saturation interacts with these other properties is key for achieving the desired visual effects in photography.