Thursday, June 30, 2011

Colour me please!!!

When I visited my parents a couple of months back, I wanted to scan all my childhood photographs so that I have a digital copy of the same. So, while searching for my photos, I saw my parents’ marriage photographs. There can be no feeling to beat the feeling of going back in time and these photos always bring a smile to my face.

My mom has a photographic face. She looks brilliant in photos. (And my dad never ceases to mention that he got fooled by those photographs :) ) In those marriage photographs, she looks beautiful in the traditional madisar. My dad looks comical in those bell-bottoms. I love these photographs. The only digression being they are in black and white.

I love black and white photographs – especially those of portraits. But a wedding snap just CAN NOT be in black and white, especially Indian weddings. The bride and groom spend hours dressing up and looking beautiful. They are in the spotlight that day. And later when they see the photographs, they would like to see how the colour of their dresses match, how the mehendi is just in the right colour, how the bride’s saree matches with her ornaments and how the groom looks like an officer in suits and just re-live that day. This cannot happen in back and white. And this is exactly what I miss when I see my parents wedding photos – the colour of their love.

Colours have a significant impact on the way we perceive things.


Which of these boxes do you think is bigger/heavier?








Most people swear the black one is bigger. In fact, they are the same size. Black is the densest colour and creates perceptions of heaviness.


Interesting Historical Note




In the 1960’s the Presidential Election in the USA was between Richard Nixon and John F Kennedy. All information suggested that the outcome of the election would be very close. The main focus of attention was a live debate on television. Richard Nixon wore a light coloured suit whereas John F Kennedy wore a dark suit. The people who listened to the debate on the radio thought the Nixon had won the discussions. On the other hand, those that watched the debate on TV (on Black and White TVs - not colour) believed emphatically that Kennedy had won. It is now believed that Kennedy looked a more prominent person because of his dark suit. Nixon’s light coloured suit made him look much smaller and less significant.

After the TV debate Kennedy took a lead in the election polls and won the Presidential Election. Is this the first time that the choice of colour has determined the leader of the Western World?


Our life is a collection of emotions just as a painting is a collection of colours
. Colours are good means to convey emotions. Colours can show our love, happiness, joy, fun, laughter, sorrow, tears and silence. Colours can speak to other’s soul in so many ways.



I wish I can see a colourful wedding photograph of my parents reverberating laughter, happiness, trust, affection and love. And the fact that I have no other photo of just the two of them makes me yearn more.

This is submitted as part of Indiblogger's contest "Take Flight with Colour" which promotes HP Laserjet printers.

Images courtesy google.

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