Color and Texture

It doesn’t matter, really, where you go in this world. Colors and textures surround us at every turn. From fabrics, to structures, automobiles, plants, animals and a whole host of other immeasurable circumstances in which you can find at least one, if not both, color and texture. I won’t even begin to scratch the surface, at least in only one blog posting, but I shot some interesting examples of different types that you may not, yourselves, had thought about considering. Let’s check some out!

Let’s get Mother Nature out of the way first, since she is one of the larger categories for color and texture. Ranging from natural settings, as pictured to the left, to insects, wild flowers, grasses, shrubs, trees and even amphibians and mammals, birds too. Mother Nature possess some of the most vibrant colors and fascinating textures you’ll ever find. Autumn is a prime example.

Every year, in the Autumn, Mother Nature puts on such a show that you’ll never tire of it. The color and textures are nothing short of stunning. Super still water, giving the appearance of glass, gives a most colorful reflection that just adds to this scene. Beautiful!

Now, I shot this with my phone and the camera on it sucks, like almost every other camera phone. But I highlight this shot in demonstrating the color that befalls us from the animal kingdom. Whidbey Island, Washington, is where I shot this and it is, singularly, the most colorful insect I’ve even laid my eyes on. This phone shot really doesn’t do any justice to the actual color that was going on here. If you allow yourself to stand, almost anywhere, look and listen for a bit, you will find wonders that you may have missed otherwise.

Let’s step out of nature and step into man made. The West Hills of Portland, Oregon are lined with hiking trails that span over 5,000 acres. The particular trail I took led me to the Witch’s Cabin. This scene is brimming with texture from the concrete that was used to build it, to the beautiful green moss that nature provided as well as the bark from neighboring trees. Along with the green, there is a variety of color provided by those who could find better uses of their time. But, it is color nonetheless, just provided by humans. I will leave it up to you on whether or not you enjoy this art form, wherever you may see it.

Structures can bring us all sorts of color. Despite being made of concrete, which can provide some texture, there are some beautifully colored towns in the world. The one pictured to the left is in Burano, Italy. Visually, this is not a boring town. Tons of color, surrounded by water with canals weaving their way through to these awesome looking homes!

Time has a unique way of providing us with color and texture. Steel and other metals, when exposed to stormy, wet conditions can provide lots of both. This photo I shot of the wreckage of the Peter Iredale, near Astoria, Oregon, has beautiful rust, barnacles and moss to entertain your eyes and interest your touch. I love coming out to this spot as it provides lovely photographic moments with lots of color and texture.

Sometimes it is just the presence of people, and some man-made stone work, to bring you a feast of color and texture. One of my favorite people photos to demonstrate just that. This kind woman, bonding with an Inari deer, in Nara, Japan has the lovely red kimono on, coupled with the texture of the deer’s coat and the texture of the stones below, give a visual color and texture to this photograph that I really enjoy.

Well, I hope you liked this little sojourn into color and texture and I must insist that you go to find your own to enjoy either near where you live, an hour away from where you live or in another country. Color and texture are everywhere in the world and sometimes they can be harder to see unless you look more closely at things. That be photo above I enlarged for the purposes of this blog. That be was half and inch long and I’d have to go into centimeters to give you its width. Had to get in close for that one, but I allowed myself to be mindful and see it. Anytime you remain mindful in nature, or anywhere, really, then you’ll ope yourselves up to see all sorts of things on your adventures.

Until next time, take care of yourselves and each other, be and travel well!