The love of colour

It's clear that the human animal loves colour. This family of young Omani girls (all sisters) shows how women all over the world love to dress up and decorate themselves. 

Essay on colour - # 92/2011

Stay with me a while. I snapped this playing with camera settings to try things out. But I got something unexpected.

I grew up with this scene, and at that time, at low tide the beach would often yield unexploded war-time munitions and patches of fuel oil, some of which had seeped from ships and aircraft sunk in battle.

My memory is happy but the predominant colour in mind is grey. The ships that habitually anchored here to wait for the storm winds to pass had black hulls and white topwork and grey hatch coverers. Life boats on the ships were white and frankly very primitive. Metal marker posts were rusting and one wondered how anyone ever saw them or made use of them. The sea was grey or blue. The concrete was grey. A photo was always black and white.

Today we have a world of colour.  The ships that still anchor for shelter are multicoloured often with blue hulls and red or vermillion cargo hatches, the topwork is still white but brilliant orange breaks out and lifeboats are high-tech and brilliantly visible. The marker posts are multicoloured red and white and clearly in business to be seen. And the sea has acquired unexpected colourfulness, thanks to the polarizing filter on a camera that a mere childish lad of the 1940s/50s never dreamt could ever exist.

This is just a snap, trying something out. But it is in fact much, much more as I stand, watch, and remember. 

No.6 - # 73/2011

All things bright..........

Royal colours - # 72/2011

Here's a bit of fun that's been around for a few years, but I've only just noticed it!!  Look up, People!! Look up!!!!


On the lamp posts at Ham Gate, entering Richmond Park, they have placed these delightful little royal crowns, sitting on their sweet little tassled cushions.  I've loaded the picture in a large(ish) size, so do click on it and enjoy the details in the crown and cushion.  By the way, I think the gas lamp is never switched off. Who remembers gas lamps? 

Three coloured umbrellas - # 71/2011

Lunch time colour - # 70/2011

Enlarge it.  You can actually count the little half moon bites in the sandwich.

Saturated colour - # 69/2011

We're back in Richmond.  Who says the UK doesn't "do" colour?

Multi-coloured Spontaneous Art Installation - # 68/2011

The painter's trestle in the boat-building yard at Richmond Bridge might do well in a gallery for expensive "modern" art. 

All made by human hand- # 08/215

Hand-painted ancient Chinese vases; the folds of a dress painted by a 17th Century master painter; a hand-crafted gilded frame; a hand-made lamp shade all set against wood paneling hand-cut by the finest carpenters.

Hand-held Olympus E3 using hand-chosen Aperture F8.0 to control depth of field. Man-made shutter firing at 1/13th sec. The camera's humanly devised electronic brain, made on machines conceived and constructed by man chose ISO 3,200 after looking through a man-made Olympus 14-35mm SWD F2.0 lens, designed and made by human optical engineers. The light source came from electricity generated and transmitted by man's industrial endeavour.

This man thinks it's all a miracle.

The Bar Fly does "Textures" - # 08/214

We're back in the Bell Inn East Molesey, built around 1460.

The Bar Fly was fascinated by the textures of the ancient wattle and daub walls, the brick and the rough old oak beams. Of course the "traditional Faithful Dog" had to be included.

So: Olympus C7070 mounted on table with trusty bean bag to steady it; lock in a low ISO to eliminate grainy "noise" and give a nice long, slow exposure to bring out all the details and richness. Make sure the aperture is right to ensure that both near and far are pin sharp; use a remote release rather than timer to allow me to control the moment when to fire the shutter. White balance set to "tungsten/incandescent" to eliminate false "orange" cast from the lights, and give a better white colour rendering. And, naturally, remember to switch off the flash.

Result: a nice clear true-to-life memory of a pleasant evening in delightful company. That's what the "Richmond upon Thames Bar Fly Occasional Series" is all about.

(The photo looks good in B & W, but I wanted to bring out the warmth of colour and texture rather than the tonal effect and drama of the B & W version.)

Toy ducks - # 08/165

I was somewhat doubtful about posting yesterday's "Toytown" style image, but it seemed to work and the point was taken. So, let's stay with the toys. Isn't it amazing what people like to buy? I guess it has something to do with liking fun and a good laugh.

Girls love bangles- # 235

Here's a shop selling everything that is deeply loved by the female of the species! Look at the colourful rack of bracelets so well displayed as if it is a demonstration of the light spectrum! Look at the necklaces, and the hair clips!

Indian ladies have always known how to dress up; and the same can be said of ladies all over the world. Southall highstreet is full of shops catering to the tastes of the ladies.

..it's all about colour - # 231

There's little that is "aesthetic" about the physical structure of the town of Southall, but the Indians have brought their own magic. It's all about colour - vibrant colour! You first notice it in the vegetable displays. Not only are they a little bit exotic for the traditional English "northern climate" eye, but they are strikingly colourful: absolutely dazzling.