burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I use color and color balance subtly. Most often, I want it to support the story without attracting attention to itself. If, as a viewer, I’m thinking about the lighting or color (im-)balance, I’m distracted. I want the effect to be subliminal.

blackest Loc: Ireland

I will give a couple of websites, and there are a lot that touch on using color.
If you consider film stocks, each had its own characteristics, two cameras side by side with different films would give a different result. In digital we have a full range of freedom to choose our own palette.

https://medium.com/s/the-photographers-almanac/the-influence-of-color-52eea4dfa9fc

http://www.dylanfurstphoto.com/
https://www.instagram.com/flopunktwe/?hl=en

https://gizmodo.com/see-how-much-color-correction-can-change-the-feel-of-a-1677892471

Sometimes its subtle, other times very obvious, sometimes its art other times it's marketing but it is all pretty much designed to get an emotional response from the viewer. It's an interesting area to explore.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Too often, "mood" color is very obviously over-done to the point of ugly and inappropriate. When junior wannabe filmmakers produce TV commercial advertising, we can see some really ugly pictures. When the blacks are a hazy blue, there are no real highlights, and the mid-tones are mud, I think, "What do they want me to notice, their crappy video effects, or the product?" Media and presentation style should *transport* messages, not get in the way of them!

A local TV station records its own promotional spots for its news team. Most of the time, the white balance is WAY off. The talents' faces are so red and saturated that they look alien. When they record outdoors, they fail to use a fill light or reflector to avoid "raccoon eyes". Combine that with bad white balance and YUK. No amount of verbal hype and fake smiles can make that look professional.

Then there are the car ads that use false color for "mood" or "brand image". The cars don't look like that in the showroom or the brand's web gallery, so what the he!! is the ad agency thinking?

Restraint and subtlety go a long way...

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Couldn’t agree more - I see oversaturated color, poor WB and poor blacks and highlights all the time.

blackest Loc: Ireland

Sometimes it's intentional, color grading is something you notice when done badly!