Capture the Colour Contest: Harmony of Colours

This is an entry for the Capture the Colour contest at http://www.travelsupermarket.com/c/holidays/capture-the-colour/. 

Colour connotes meanings, emotions, perspectives that vary among cultures and travelling instills in us awareness of the subjectivity of the meanings of colour. For example, In India, red is the color of weddings and white should not be worn during those joyous occasions at it symbolizes mourning. Colour and the emotions it evokes also varies from one person to another. Green is my favorite color because I associate it with my childhood and my summer visits to the mountains.

The Capture the Colour by TravelSupermarket contest gives us the opportunity to interpret the colours we see while we travel. I had a fantastic time revisiting the photos I took during my previous travels and this contest definitely gave me a new set of eyes while creating a narrative behind each frame. Since I am into writing haiku recently, I created a haiku for each photo.

I personally call this collection as Harmony of Colours. I want to emphasize how different colours complement our surroundings like the bright sun against the blue sky or flowers on concrete walls. I also tried to connect opposite yet complementary ideas like the past and present or nature and modernity.

Thank you for this wonderful opportunity and I hope you enjoy the colours I present here and feel the character of each subject.

Have a colourful day!

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Blue is the colour of Calmness and Harmony

BLUE STARFISH
Drifting on the shore
Its destination, unkown
Peaceful on its own

For me, blue evokes calmness and harmony like the calm seas and blue skies blending until the horizon. The photo of this blue starfish was taken in Bohol, Philippines while walking along the pristine beach of Panglao Island. The best thing about the island is its unspoiled beaches. Unlike other beach destinations in the country, the island remains spotless of traces of modernity. But this does not mean that if offers no comforts. It is amazing how modernity blends harmoniously with nature. Pristine shoreline is at peace with luxurious hotels and restaurants. (Read the story behind the photo here.)

Low tides in the afternoon reveal white strips of glistening sand too inviting to be left unvisited. Shells and corals are beautifully strewn along the beach. Starfish decorate the powdery sand. These delicate sea creatures are known to be indicators of unpolluted water. This nature’s wonder is at peace with the changing tides and gentle waves.

Green means Life

GREEN LOTUS LEAVES
Small circles afloat
While tracing the roots of life
To earth, they return

I have to admit that this is my favorite color. I like how this color soothes my tired eyes. It is the color of nature, of balance and growth. Singapore is known for its gardens. True enough, this “little red dot” is a city in a garden. Heritage trees, lush hills, peaceful lakes, pedestrians lined up with flowers and shrubs naturally envelope this modern city.

The photo above was taken at a lotus pond located at the Chinese Gardens and Japanese Gardens of Singapore. I was struck by the beautiful patterns of the floating lotus leaves and the stark contrast of bright hues of green against the brown surface. It reminded me how nature balances and sustains itself paving the way for life to blossom.

Yellow sparks Hope

CLOTHED IN YELLOW
Amidst the blue sky
is a yellow spark of hope
Clothed in our prayers

The brightness of the color yellow is oftentimes associated with happiness, energy and creativity. Akin to the color of the sun, yellow is a symbol of hope. The above photo was taken during my visit to the temple ruins of Ayutthaya, Thailand. Looking up, you will see some towers clothed in yellow in the same way they decorated their statues of Buddha in glistening gold. The brightness of this color are beautiful decorations to the bright blue skies like sparks of hope as you look up into the heavens.

White evokes Purity and Simplicity

WHITE FLAMINGO
It opens its wings
Great flamingo of the lake
Exuding perfection

The sense of purity and simplicity exudes by the colour white also equates to perfection. When I visited the Jurong Bird Park of Singapore, I was immediately attracted to the flamingos. With their long legs, white and pink feathers, they are a sight to behold. Elegant in their slow and proud movements, the glistening pond where they spend most of their time reflects their perfection. Aware of the beauty they possess and generous to the admiration they get, they seem to be mindless of the visitors taking their photos while they continue to tend their feathers and stare at their reflections.

Red gives Energy and Warmth

RED GATE
The past, the present
Intertwined for a moment
Bittersweet farewell

Red is the color oftentimes associated with love, struggle and celebration. Similarly, red, for me, emphasizes energy and warmth like the life-giving blood within us and the energy-emitting sun shining unto us.

I was immediately transported to Japan, a country bursting with culture, energy and life, when I saw the red torii at the Japanese Garden of Singapore. Torii is a traditional Japanese gate symbolizing the transition from the profane to the sacred. It is usually found at the entrances of Shinto shrines. Its simple structure, together with the meaning of its construction, is like a magnetic field that attracts me to be still for a moment, reflect and get ready for the days ahead.

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I would like to see the following bloggers/photographers participate in this contest too:
thefreakartist.wordpress.com
tsinelasnirotchie.wordpress.com
eagerexplorer.wordpress.com
herdailydigest.com
theretiringsort.com

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