Tuesday 30 December 2014

Rainy Day Red



It's pouring with rain, too wet and blustery to take more than the briefest walk, so I'm in front of the desktop playing around with my latest photos.  I've only been to two photography workshops so far, but Jak's lectures have given me and my snaps a new perspective.  Writing group in 2014 has also helped to concentrate the mind and make me more observant; an exercise in choosing a colour to notice before setting out on a walk is a great way to focus the senses.  Blue is universally recognised as Bodrum's colour, but we're not short of reds either. 


Red dye called kermes was made in the Neolithic period from the dried crushed bodies of the female Kermes Vermilio, an insect living on the sap of certain trees, but especially the Kermes Oak in the Mediterranean.  The Turkish word for "red" is "kırmızı".  It doesn't take much of an etymological jump to see where this comes from.



Legend has it that the Turkish flag represents an image of a star and new moon in white reflected in the red of battlefield blood, signifying strength after war.


Remember at traffic lights: "red means stop" is a theory that is not reliably always put into practice.


16 comments:

  1. Enjoyed the comment on traffic light (in)discipline....

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    1. If it is raining, all pretence of following traffic rules goes out the window.

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  2. I love that technique that uses a colour on a black and white image. I remember the first time I saw it on film on Schindlers List with the little girl in the red coat...if anyone has seen the film.

    The photos are really good xx

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    1. I must see that film, I must be the only person in the world not to have.

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  3. I love the photo with the red bucket. Or is it a flower pot?

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  4. . . it's a great way to give (excuse me, no slight intended) 'ordinary' photos a real kick!

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  5. Very cool Annie! What photo editing software are you using? I should try and learn some more to improve my photography as well. :-)

    Oh, and it's so funny, how different the traffic lights and pedestrians are here in Poland vs. Turkey. Poles refuse to budge until the light has turned green, especially the pedestrians. (In fact, you can technically get a fine if you cross illegally.) But when temps drop below 0C, I say screw it and cross the street whenever I want.

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    1. I'm using both iPhoto and Nikon
      Poles must hate driving in Turkey.

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  6. Interesting idea about choosing a color before a walk to help one's observing skills, B to B. Our eyes are always glued to the ground, partially so as not to fall over broken pavement! But your photos show how it can make a difference in your perception of things around you. Thanks for the tip. (We're housebound, too, BTW.)

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    1. I should point out that I trip up all the time.

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  7. Fabulous. Reminds of the girl in the red dress from Shindler's List.

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    1. Girl in area dress makes me think of the Gazi protests.

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  8. So you are using a programme? I have a friend who has a camera which focuses on specific colours like eg red like you have. It's intriguing!

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  9. What eye-catching photos! I really love the splashes of red and look forward to what you will show us after further workshops.

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