Another look at RED....

Yesterday I made an entry about the colour red, and I have not been able to stop thinking about it. Well, about colour for that matter. The actual meanings and uses, and psychological effects of using or seeing a colour. As I have mentioned, and if you know me at all, I love colour. Bright colours, dark colours, muted colours. I may not use them in my home, or in my day to day clothing, but I admire many, many colours, and combinations.

I decided to do some more research into the colour red, and here are some fascinating tidbits around the history of red:
-Red is said to have protective powers against evil, to give strength and to ward off illnesses, fever and even miscarriages (The painting I posted dated 1434, entitled Arnolfini Wedding, is said to illustrate this belief...)
-Red garlands and red scarves are part of many wedding customs. In fact Red bridal gowns were worn by Ancient Romans, and are still worn by Chinese Brides today
-People wear red to bring them luck.
-It is both the colour of Satan, and of the Roman Catholic Church (power, need I remind you?)
-Its excellent visibility in extreme darkness lead to its use in stop signs, danger signs, fire trucks, and brake lights.
-Red may cause restlessness and insomnia if used in bedrooms, but is regarded as a great colour to use in excercise and play rooms. (And as I mentioned yesterday, in rooms showcasing art!)
-It appears closer then it actually is, so a room with red walls will feel like it is closing in on you.
- And finally, for you who love red, but not the intense energy it gives off, then try a muted earthy red like red ocher, venetian red, or even brick red......

I'm sure if you look through all my photos, you will find a shade of red that is just perfect for you..

Hope you enjoyed this little trivia session. I know I did!

Seeing Red...

Red....the colour of love, passion, anger, and aggression. Did you know that at one time many fast food restaurants used the colour red in their interiors in order to create a passion and desire to eat more food. The funny thing is it also was used to hurry the diners up and get them out in order to have a greater turnover, thus more sales.

At home, especially in the 19th century, and early 2oth, red was often used in dining rooms. Red is a very flattering colour to most peoples skin tones, and combined with candlelight it made for a very cozy, flattering, and enjoyable evening. It was also used alot in drawing rooms, especially those with salon type walls chuck full of paintings, sketches, and photographs...Red seems to show off art work well. I believe there are even red walls in part of the exhibition spaces at the AGO here in Toronto.

Did I mention my kitchen is red? It is indeed. I always wanted a red room, and now I have one. I love it.

When I take a lot of my photos, especially when I focus on colour, pattern ,and texture, I always associate a feeling to the photograph. I also envision many of them hanging in people's rooms. Usually in large format, much like some huge painted canvas...I think colour is so important to each of us, and it often means different things to different people, hence the millions of colours available to us to purchase in the form of paint. There is an energy in colour, whether it is strong and vibrant, or soft and strong.. There is a colour pallet for each of us. Have you found yours? What is your favorite? How do you react to certain colours? It is such an interesting topic don't you think?

Enjoy your day, and I hope I have you seeing red..

Urban Textures Revisited....

Last weekend while I was sorting and editing some of the floral abstracts I have been posting I had one of those a-ha! moments. It had suddenly dawned on me to go back and take a look at one of my earlier subjects and then re-interpret them with some of the new skills/techniques I have learned since then.

So out came the camera and the umbrella and I headed over to one of the more colourful spots in Toronto, Queen Street West. The first time around I had focused on Urban Textures as I was actually viewing them, and only used composition as my way of expressing how I was seeing them. This time, it was still about the colours and patterns, but less about fine details. I decided to experiment using the same techniques I have been using with the floral images, and my Kaleidoscape series.

The result is an explosion of colours, and some wonderful, (in my opinion) abstract shots. I can't wait for my next day off, and hope to build up the portfolio with a few more...

Here are a couple for you to take a look at..

Fresh and green...

Anyone who lives in the Toronto area knows we have had our fair share of rain this spring. It seems we get 24 hours of rain, for every hour of sun. Everything is behind almost 3 weeks in terms of nature. My friends forsythia tree is just now dropping its bright yellow flowers that usually herald the start of spring. This also happens to be the first long weekend that 'unofficially' starts the beginning of summer. Here in Ontario it marks the beginning of planting season.....

This year however, the ground is wet, and it hasn't stopped raining long enough for most people to cut their grass, or turn the soil over never mind planting.

Can you tell, I also happen to love gardening? Granted I now live in an apartment building and my gardening is limited to what I can put on my 15 foot balcony. It is a good thing that one of my friends owns his own house and lets me putter away in his yard when I can. I just helped him put in an herb garden which I can't wait to reap the rewards. Now we just need some sunshine, to dry the ground out a little, and we will plant some veggies, and more flowers. Come on Mother Nature, put away those tears for a bit anyways...

In the meantime, here are two pictures I took in the greenhouses on Easter Sunday...Hope you enjoy them.

Seeing Red..

If you have been reading my entries most of you know that I have not been able to get out and spend much time with my camera of late. I have found myself working 6 days a week between two jobs, and have been collaborating with a couple of friends on a production about photography for this summers Fringe Festival. Not that I am complaining, I can certainly use the money to move forward with photography, and the theater project has been extremely exciting for me. I can't wait to see the results of incorporating photography into an original play.

On Easter weekend, I did find a whole hour of spare time, and so grabbed my camera (which still needs to have the sensor cleaned!) and ran over to Allen Gardens to do some more abstract colour shots. It may have been a quick shoot, but I was happy with most of the results.

This is the first one I will share with you....Hope you like it!

Retrospective Part 5 of 5...

Here it is. The last portfolio I entered into the contest. (Portfolio contest, "Color" magazine). So now it will be another month or two of waiting for the results. In the mean time my plans are to get the camera all cleaned, and serviced, and perhaps look at purchasing a new lens. I'm thinking wide angle....

Did I mention I am collaborating with a couple of friends on developing a play about photography for this years Fringe festival here in Toronto? (July) We have titled the play "Exposure" and we will be showing at the Tarrogon theatre...I will post the details, as they come. ;)

Retrospective Part 4...

These shots are from my fourth portfolio I recently submitted into a portfolio contest. The previous blog posts showcase the three portfolios I have shared with you as part of my retrospective...This particular group is a combination of photos from my "Surface Deep" and "Kaleidoscape" series. (2010-2011). I decided to marry them together into a High Park portfolio. All of the photos were taken using slow shutter speeds, and in most cases, zooming in/out during the exposure.

They still remain some of my favorite mood shots...