Some Fun With Color

by Judy

In my last post I was lamenting the absence of Spring in my neck of the woods, and expressing my need for some color!  Sadly, I can't say that Spring has found its way to me yet, although I do see some buds on my plum tree and my forsythia, so I do know that it will show up soon. Fingers crossed.

I live in the Northeast, New York to be exact.  Our winters can seem to last a life time.  By the middle of March I've HAD it with the dull landscapes, grey days, and lack of color (other than beige.)

According to Certified Color Therapist, Eleyne Austen Sharp, " color is a vibrational energy that is absorbed through the eyes and the skin, so the colors you see instantly affect you on a physical, mental, and emotional level." I can't imagine that absorbing the color beige for three months straight can do much for my physical, mental or emotional well being!

Since ancient times, cultures around the world have understood the power of color.  Native Americans used colored crystals to heal.  In the Middle East, the color blue was used for protection, and in China, the color red symbolized celebration and luck.  The Egyptians and Chinese practiced chromotherapy, which is the use of colors to heal.  This is sometimes called light therapy or colorology, and is still used as a holistic treatment today.

Although I've been known to swoon over some of the soft, monotone photos I see on flickr and Instagram, my photography style is usually that of vibrant, saturated colors.  While perceptions of color are somewhat subjective, just for the fun of it,  let's look at some of the colors and see how they are said to affect our mood.

Purple is the color of spirituality, healing and deep calm.  It's best to stick to lighter shades of purple, ranging from soft lavender and lilac.  Darker purple, like eggplant or royal purple, can make you feel negative and fearful.  We definitely do not want that!

White symbolizes the Divine and can  make us feel fresh, and clear the mind and soul.  Be sure to choose warmer shades of white so that your room doesn't have a clinical feel to it.

Green symbolizes harmony, healing, regeneration, refreshment, and freshness, and is both calming and uplifting.  It is advised to choose shades like sage, seafoam, mint, jade and celery as opposed to Hunter or Kelly green.  The darker greens can cause moodiness and obsessive tendencies, and that's no good!

Blue is the color of peace, serenity, communication, and truth.  In the bedroom, blue inspires tranquility and is ideal for insomniacs, but just as with the other colors, beware!  Darker shades of blue, like indigo, may make you feel depressed or claustrophobic.  Bleh.  There is anecdotal evidence that installing blue-colored streetlights can lead to reduced crime in those areas.  That's something to think about...

Red is the most emotionally intense color and can actually stimulate a faster heartbeat and breathing.  As we all know, it is also the color of love.  Red clothing gets noticed, and makes the wearer appear heavier.  Note to self - empty my closet of all red things!

So, what do you think?  Do you feel that color therapy is a whole lot of hooey, or do you notice that colors do affect your mood? No matter what, I love color.  I'm drawn to color and I can't wait until I begin to see some color around my neighborhood!

Yellow - The Color of Spring

by Deanna

Touches of Spring was my choice for this month's theme. OK I know the image above doesn't resemble Spring at all, but if I was at home right now this is probably what I would see out of my window. If you have seen any pictures of mine on Instagram or Facebook in the last week you would know that I am in Arizona soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the warmth. Except 90+ is just a wee bit warm for my body, but it sure hasn't stopped me from enjoying my moments in the sun. Rub on that sun screen and off I go.

Today I'm all about the color yellow. Yellow is the color of egg yolk, ripe lemons, some animals, many flowers, a few birds, butterflies, clothing, furniture, etc. It;s the primary color between green and orange in the visible spectrum, an effect of light with a wave length between 570 and 590 nm (nano meter, not "never mind").

Since I have been in Arizona I have seen yellow thru my lens wherever I went. So this post is more about images of yellow than words.

I discovered animals in yellow....

Butterflies and bees in yellow....

I know the flower isn't yellow but that bee buzzing inside is sure yellow.

Lots of flowers in yellow...

I have been visiting friends in Arizona (specifically, Phoenix) for several years. It's my getaway when winter has been around too long at home. When everything is still very brown at home, I fly to the land of the sun to envelop myself in the vivid colors that heal the remnants of winter in my bones.

I'll admit when I first visited Arizona 20+ years ago I did not appreciate the desert with it's beauty. My mindset was "how can anybody like living around rocks, desert, and cactus."  Well, needless to say, my mindset has certainly changed over the years. I now find those cactus, those rocks, and those deserts beautiful. 

Even birds are yellow out here....

And then of course, there are the stunning sunsets...

Even tho I am missing the massive blooming of the cactus by about 2-3 weeks, I sure haven't been cheated out of any beauty.

Focus On You!

Susan Bolton stole my heart this week with this dreamy, turquoisy image of the beach, called "Fading Summer."  Sue is a long time friend of FOL from Galveston, Tx. You can see her flickr stream here.

I also adore a second image from Larraine Leslie. She really captured the brights of summer in close focus. Her Flickr stream is here.

Congratulations for making our summer break more beautiful. As always. we appreciate the participation! See you next week for some GREEN.

Just Keep Going

by Kelly

"Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you'll be able to see farther."  ~J. P. Morgan

Seems like there are so many unanswered questions in my life right now....'What about this?' 'How will I find time for that?' But instead of freaking myself out and driving myself crazy trying to answer the questions, I've decided that I'm just going to keep walking in the direction that feels right.  And when I get as far as I can see, I'll be able to see farther.

Until next time,

Kelly

Focus on You

A lot of beautiful purple images in the Flickr gallery this week for our August Break Purple theme! But this one stood out. I love the little fuzzies on the petals and the look into the inner part of the flower. Such a gorgeous shade of purple too!  This was posted by Barbara Vautier.  Thanks so much, Barbara, for sharing your photos with us here at FOL.  Next week our focus will be on Red, so don't forget to keep posting your color photos as we continue our August Break Color weeks.

Color Your World

by Leigh

My name is Leigh and I'm a coloraholic.  I need my color fix everyday just like I need my caffeine. Everyone's got a favorite color.  It's the one you find yourself photographing over and over again.  It draws you in every time.  You spot it and your eyes light up, your mood instantly lifts and a smile washes over your face.  Most of the time my go to color is green, but looking through my photos from the past couple of weeks I'm seeing a new trend.

My photos have been full of pinks, purples and blues.  I hadn't really planned for that to be my summer flower color palette….I guess subconsciously that was my plan all along!  

I could go into various aspects of color theory, but it's difficult to summarize in a blog post.  Color combinations create a visual harmony.  Harmony is defined as a pleasing arrangements of parts, whether it be music, poetry or color.  In visual experiences, harmony is something pleasing to the eye.  "It engages the viewer and creates an inner sense of order, a balance in the visual experience."  At one end of the spectrum, when something is not harmonious it appears boring or so bland that the viewer is not engaged.  At the other extreme is a visual experience so chaotic and overdone that it overstimulates the brain.  The viewer can't stand to look at it…almost as though our brain rejects what it cannot organize or understand.  Color harmony creates not only a sense of order, but there is an ease to it that engages us and makes the viewer want to look at it longer.  "Harmony is a dynamic equilibrium."

What color combinations create that harmony for you? 

Focus on You

Spring has sprung and for a healthy dose of Spring inspiration, one need look no further than the FOL Flickr pool!  So many gorgeous photos featured blooms of every shape and color.  This week I was particularly drawn to the pastel perfection in this photography by Janice Johnson.  The pale pink is so beautifully set against the softest greens.  Can't you just smell the soft, sweet scent of these cherry blossoms?

Thank you to everyone for continuing to share your beautiful art with all of us.  We can't wait to see see spring through your eyes!

The Colors of the Season

by Kelly

Please, do not ask me how it is possible that today is December 1st.  I have no idea.

In my neck of the woods though, it still looks like Autumn.  The maple trees in my back yard are ablaze in hues of coral and crimson.  And the Burning Bush in my front yard is once again proving that it is well deserving of its audacious name.

I love the contrast of the vibrant reds and deep greens in the landscape right now.  Red and green are a match made in heaven as they are complementary colors - they sit opposite each other on a traditional color wheel.  You could say that they bring out the best in each other by creating a strong contrast.

Nature is so cool like that.

This time of year, when there is little else growing, the intense colors are a welcome sight during the shorter days which are so often gray and gloomy. This is also why the colors of red and green are traditionally associated with the holidays.

In any case, the colors of the season have certainly put me in a more festive mood.  Which is exactly what we're celebrating this month at FOL!  This time of year can be sometimes be stressful and overwhelming, and we believe that the antidote to that is slowing down and being present.  So as you go about your daily life, pay attention to the little details that bring you the most gratitude and joy. Savor these small moments of magic and wonder.  

Finally, be sure to share your moments with us in the FOL Flickr pool or on Instagram using  #focusingonlife.  We are so grateful to have such an amazing community of talented artists and look forward to celebrating the moments with you!

Love, Kelly

Focus on You -- A Colorful August

by Terri

It has been such a beautiful and colorful August here at FOL and there are so many amazing images to choose from our Flickr gallery to feature here on our last Focus on You for the month.  The image above by Life Unscripted Photography was for orange week. That little pop of orange from the berries and the beautiful focus really set this image apart.  Spend some time in her gallery for a real treat.

Week 2 we focused on Blue. The seriousness on the face of this sweet guy driving his new blue car just makes me smile!  If you want to see some inspirational child photography, check out the photostream of Melisa Renee. You'll find some great shots of some adorable children!

Week 3 brought us Hot Pink and this beautiful image by Janice Johnson. Her focus on just one flower in the group really draws the eye.  In fact, her entire photostream is pure eye candy and well worth spending some time perusing.

And since I was unable to choose just one Hot Pink image, here's another beauty from gingerybamboo. 

Hers is another photostream that I could spend hours enjoying.  Take a look and you'll see what I mean!

And for Week 4, our color has been White.  Capturing white can be difficult, but Susan Bolton has done a beautiful job with this image!

Thanks to everyone who played along during our August Break.  So many beautiful images shared by all of you.  We will be announcing our Monthly Focus for September next week. Be sure to check back! 

Black & White -- Are they colors?

by Terri

After our month of focusing on colors, I started thinking -- are black and white colors?  When I was a child, I remember my grandfather telling me that white was the absence of color and white was the presence of all color.  But when I went to research this, I found the following on Yahoo:

"It depends on whether you are thinking of light or pigments.

In light, black is the total absence of light, or absorption of all frequencies of light. while white is the presence of all frequencies of light. We tend to think of this as the RGB way of colors - mixing red, green and blue, you finish up with a whole range of colors, depending on the "intensity" of each color.

With pigments, black comes from mixing together all the different possible pigments, which is why print media (which usually go on white paper) use the KYCM (black, yellow, cyan and magenta) to get specific colors. Oh, there is a special pigment for white, if one is not using white paper.

So, are black and white 'colors'? Not really, but they are a major component in how we think of other colors."

I think that, as photographers, we see with light rather than pigments. Our last week of August Break will be focusing on the color white.  Is it a color?  You decide!

Orange Crush

by Leigh

Some fun info about the color orange:

Orange is a power color. It is one of the healing colors. It is said to increase the craving for food. It also stimulates enthusiasm and creativity. Orange means vitality with endurance. People who like orange are usually thoughtful and sincere. Lady luck's color is orange. I have been told that if a change of any kind is need in life, just burn an orange candle for 7 nights.

Orange Energy

While red is associated with fiery heat, orange is associated with the benign warmth of the sun. A dynamic color to be sure, orange offers a more thoughtful control than explosive red. Curiosity is a driving characteristic of orange, and with it comes exploration of new things.

Put some orange in your life when you want:

• to spice things up when you feel time is dragging
• to become more involved in something
• to increase creativity
• relief from things becoming too serious

The Bold and the Beautiful

by Kelly

High summer is upon us.  In my neck of the woods that means hot, hazy days and thick, humid evenings.  And all around my neighborhood bright, bold flowers are standing up tall in the gardens.

I love the colors of summer...truly this is what I miss most in the middle of winter.

Color just makes me so happy.  And there's even science to back this up!

Studies show that warm colors like reds, yellows, and oranges promote feelings of happiness, optimism, energy, and vitality.  

There is magic in every season to be sure.  But today I just wanted to celebrate the bold, beautiful colors of summer.  Stop and pause...take a moment to relish the beauty.

Thanks for letting me share it with you.

Love, Kelly

My Pastel Spring

by Deanna

A pink Azalea with yellow Daffodils in the background

Spring has arrived in all of its glory.  We have had a cool Spring which has been a real blessing for those of us who enjoy the beauty of the emergence of color.  If the weather becomes too hot, which has happened many times in the past, the daffodils droop, the tulip petals drop off, the magnolia trees loose their flowers too soon and Spring has left before we have had a chance to revel in it's beauty. It has been in the 50's and 60's, even a few 70 degree days, but down right cold at night. Frost warnings have been frequent, but now that it's May, we should begin to enjoy climbing temps.  I know you are not looking for a weather report from me, but because of the cool weather most daffodils are still going strong, tulips have just begun to open, and many Magnolia's are still blooming.   I am very fortunate to have a magnificent Arboretum so close to my home where I spend many a day wandering with my camera thru it's splendid woods, fields and gardens. So I invite you to come along with me and enjoy my pastel adventures in Spring....

A pale peach daffodil

Blue Scilla

Pink Magnolia

Pink Crabapple

Blue Brunnera

Virginia Blue Bells (I love the combo of pink & blue, pink buds that turn into blue flowers)

Teeny tiny wildflower

Redbud Tree

Grape Hyacinth 

Yellow double petaled daffodils

Pink tulip

White Crabapple

I hope you enjoyed our walk together thru my pastel Spring and that you are out enjoying the color in your world.  

"The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring." ~ Bernard Williams

Thank you so much for participating in our monthly theme in our Flickr group, and because today is a new month (Happy May) please check out our new theme in the "Monthly Tab" above.