“The whole world, as we experience it visually, comes to us from the mystic realm of color. Our entire being is nourished by it. This mystic quality of color should likewise find expression in a work of art.”
Hans Hoffman
Two lovely and talented photographers nominated me to submit entries into the Capture the Colour Contest whose entries have been sweeping the world. Thank you, Marina Chetner, and Vielen Dank, Cornelia Weber for your nominations. I’m honored and flattered!
Readers, I encourage you to check out these creative ladies’ websites: Marina Chetner: Be Inspired Through Travel & Bikram Yoga Musings & Cornelia Weber Photography.
Without further ado, here are my Capture the Colour submissions from Vietnam, Germany, France, and India:
Row, Row, Row Your Basket – Mui Ne, Vietnam – Blue (header image)
When I first saw the vessel gliding through the azure waters of the South China Sea one early morning, I thought my eyes were deceiving me.
Was a lone fisherman really paddling a basket-like boat through the water?
I’d later see many more of such basket boats throughout Vietnam. In fact, one afternoon, I even hopped aboard one that was being piloted by a mischievous, elderly Vietnamese man.
It turns out that the basket boats are waterproof and even unappealing to tropical creatures, which favor the taste and texture of traditional hardwood boats.
Love is in the Air – Inside a Hot Air Balloon in the Loire Valley, France – Yellow
On a sizzling July afternoon, my new fiancé, Shawn, and I took gift-giving to new heights. On his birthday, we vowed not to gift each other with material items, rather to exchange experiences.
And so it was that we hopped into a crowded wicker basket with 14 other adventurers from around the world.
As the balloon staff revved up the flame and the black and lemon-colored balloon inflated, excitement and fear were evident on the passengers’ faces. The butterflies in the stomachs of passengers were initially quelled by the knowledge that our hot air balloonist descended from a long line of balloon pilots. Yet as our basket’s bottom tickled the Loire Valley’s treetops, passengers started panicking. We’re certain that the talented pilot flirted with the treetops on purpose to make his job more exciting!
Dressed in Snow – the Heidelberg Castle, Germany – White
It was a snowy winter morning when I ascended the 314 stairs leading to Germany’s celebrated Heidelberg Castle. With snowflakes dancing in the air, in a white-out scene worthy of a snow globe, I composed a shot of the castle’s ruined silhouette and a handsome old tree trunk. Within seconds, the scene would become timeless, thanks to a couple that serendipitously walked in, hand-in-hand, under an umbrella’s protective cover.
This location is special to me. When I was an infant, my parents took a photograph of me here in a German Kinderwagen (stroller). We would move to the United States before I became a toddler.
Approximately twenty years later, I serendipitously returned to Heidelberg and lived there for ten years. After taking this photograph, my husband and I were married in the castle chapel that’s partially visible in this image.
Painting the Town Red – Hoi An, Vietnam – Red
In the days leading up to Tet, or the Vietnamese New Year celebrations, outdoor markets in Vietnam overflow with festive decorations.
Ho Chi Minh is a controversial figure, depending upon the political leanings of the Vietnamese person with whom you speak, and this image illustrates that among the Vietnamese, opinions are still mixed.
Many Vietnamese from the former south are still upset about the Vietnam War’s outcome (known as the “American War” in Vietnam).
However, among Communist loyalists, the former political leader is revered.
This image was taken in the central Vietnamese city of Hoi An.
The Rub of the Green – Kerala’s Backwaters, India – Green
Kerala’s backwaters are a magical and calm landscape where ladies spin thread out of coconut fibers, and residents commute via ferries or their own trusty boats.
On these sleepy waterways, we escaped the hurried pace of modern-day life for a day, conversing with other adventurers from around the world about our hopes and dreams.
Observing such calm lifestyles made many of us feel as though the Keralites had ‘the rub of the green.’ Yet, in speaking with them and hearing how they admired our home countries too, we diplomatically concluded that the ‘grass is always greener on the other side.’
My days have recently been hurried and that’s why I am entering the contest so late in the game. Nevertheless, I would love to nominate five talented photography enthusiasts, whose work is definitely worth exploring:
Photography & text © Tricia A. Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.
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