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Transmission
As light passes through objects, one of the interactions that can happen is transmission. During photosynthesis, some wavelengths go through the plant material without causing a chemical reaction within the plant or making the human eye see that specific color.
Reflection
The color of any given object is seen by the human eye because it is being reflected by the material. Objects have their specific color because of the size of the wavelength it can reflect. Violet has a shorter wavelength than red, for instance, and objects that reflect the shorter wavelength appear to be violet. Similarly, objects that reflect a longer wavelength appear red rather than violet.
Absorbtion
While a red object reflects the color red back to you, other colors in the various wavelengths that are not being transmitted through the object are being absorbed by it. In the plant world this means those other wavelengths are assisting the chemical process of photosynthesis, creating a chemical reaction. Or they can be creating heat within the object.
Pigments and Dyes
Pigments differ from dyes in that they are soluble in oil whereas dyes are soluble in water. Pigments such as chlorophyll absorb red, yellow and blue while reflecting green to the human eye. Carotenoids, which are yellow and orange, are masked by this green of chlorophyll.