Colors don't even require photons. There's a phenomenon called phosphenes that produces colorful lights (green and purple for me). You can see them by rubbing y

Colors don't even require photons. There's a phenomenon called phosphenes that produces colorful lights (green and purple for me). You can see them by rubbing your eyes sufficiently hard, or copy Newton and stick a blunt needle in your eye. They're caused by mechanical deformation in your optical cells rather than any photons being captured, but they produce the experience of color regardless.