Color for the Colorblind

This video is nothing new.  It came out about six months ago and made a pretty big splash.  I know I really enjoyed viewing it.  Colored by Sean Coleman at Company 3, I found this commercial to be very moving and powerful.

I have always been curious about what it’s like to be colorblind.  What are people missing out on?  What can they see?  What can’t they see?  It also makes me wonder about how we communicate about color.  It’s such a personal and subjective topic.  How do we know that we’re seeing the same thing?  I know there are times in the color suite when I just don’t see what the client is talking about.  Or they don’t see what I’m talking about.  In those rare circumstances a compromise is reached and everyone moves on to the next shot.

Recently I made a trip out to Sedona, AZ for my sister’s wedding.  Surrounded by friends and family, my cousin (who is colorblind) unveiled to me his new sunglasses from EnChroma.  I was anxious to check them out and hear what he had to say.  He told me that they allow him to see color and have really changed the way he views the world.  I tried them on and wasn’t sure what I was about to see, but I was instantly blown away.  The color was distorted (since I’m not colorblind) but I could easily see how this could be a serious game changer for those who need it.  Everything was shockingly saturated (especially red) along with an strong magenta tint.  My experience was greatly enhanced by my red rock surroundings and it was quite impressive.

This really made me want to learn more about the biology and science of how we see.  I know a little bit about rods and cones and how they behave, but not nearly as much as I’d like to.  I figure the more I know about the subject matter, the more helpful I can be in the color suite.