Capture the Colour

Capture the Colour

Photography Contest

Well this is a bit off the beaten path of what I usually do, but this contest (http://www.travelsupermarket.com/c/holidays/capture-the-colour/) caught my attention.  Each competitor creates a blog showcasing 5 travel photos each depicting one color:  Blue, Green, Yellow, White and Red.

I'm just getting into this photography thing and learning a lot.  It was fun to peruse my photos looking for good representations of each color.  What I learned about myself is that I like color - a lot!  But lots of color is what I find in my photos, so finding five separate pictures each representing one color was a bit of a challenge!  Below is what I came up with so as you enjoy each photo I hope you get a bit of a feeling for the place it represents.

Blue

Glass Blowers - Bogota, Colombia

On top of the mountains on the outskirts of Bogota I found myself walking around an old building now used as a glass blowing factory.  Piles of broken, recycled glass were fed into the furnaces to be melted before being blown.  Pipes carrying the gas to the furnace were precariously tied with wire to the ceiling or propped up on broken ladders.  I felt the place could blow at any moment (pardon the pun!).  At first I felt as though I had walked into complete chaos, but as I stood and watched the workers I realized a precise dance was unfolding before me.  Each person performed his job, lasting no more than 5 seconds, then handed the glass off to the next worker. 

Green

Coffee Country, Colombia

Our last day in the Coffee Region of Colombia we took a hike  into the mountains.  Being in nature is a rare pleasure for us.  We soaked in the fresh air and relaxed with the freedom we have become unaccustomed to.  Suddenly this group of Brahman cattle blocked our way.  I know they do not look very threatening, but animals are not really my thing and they were sort of giving us the stare down.  I enjoy what is different so just the look of these cows reminds me that I am not in Michigan any longer.  I couldn't find one black patch on any of these cows!

Yellow

Paloquemao Market - Bogota, Colombia

Colombia is the second largest exporter of flowers in the world.  The plains outside of Bogota are spread with greenhouses growing flowers to be shipped.  They abound on every street corner in the city, but the best place to find a wide variety and super great prices is the market downtown.  The earlier you arrive, the better as the parking lot is taken over by wholesalers selling their flowers to hotels, shops and customers such as myself.

White

La Recoleta Cemetery - Buenos Aires, Argentina

In each country I visit I try to find at least one cemetery to wander through.  The way a country treats its dead tells a lot about their culture and beliefs.  Eva Peron is buried here, but all the tombs are worth pausing at.  I was especially drawn to this sculpture as the girls is reaching heavenwards.  I sense a sadness at the death she represents.

Red

Islamabad, Pakistan

Pakistan was one of the most incredible places I have visited.  Probably because no one else goes there so I had this feeling of "other-worldness" while there.  The color they use in their dress and transportation struck me in such contrast to the drab, dry earth of the city.  We had headed out of the city to visit a furniture maker.  Feeling as though we were in the middle of nowhere we parked our car next to this ancient wagon and decorated horse.  

 As part of the contest I am to nominate 5 bloggers/photographers who are on fb to participate in the contest as well.  This is a bit of a challenge and I guess I can only come up with 4, but here goes:
1.  www.tree-choose-pot.tumblr.com
2.  www.moppyseedpuffin.blogspot.com
3.  www.ourwrightingpad.blogspot.com
4.  www.roadremedies.blogspot.com