Why are they fun to photograph?
Even though I love black and white photography, there are times when I just have to process an image in color. That is especially true when I see an umbrella in color. And why are they fun to photograph? Because they are usually a bright spot during an ordinarily gloomy day. They scream: “pay attention!”, ‘pick me!”. My eyes are immediately drawn to them because they are the color in the midst of gray…at least that’s how I see them. And color matters.
When you look at the above photo taken in Addis Ababa, do you think it would be as compelling if both women were carrying a black umbrella? Or in the photo below? A black umbrella would not have pulled me in. Who carries black umbrellas? Okay, men and the Brits. Black is considered formal (tuxedos, suits, etc) so maybe that’s why the Brits use black. At least in the movies.
An umbrella in color or black?
So here’s a fun fact. When you’re purchasing an umbrella for your patio, what color do you choose? My daughter asked me that recently because I am her go to person for decorating. Since she bought gray rattan patio furniture I told her she needed a bright umbrella for a pop of color like red or yellow. Get a primary color. As it turns out the most popular colors for patio umbrellas are yellow, red, and orange. See? I was right. Now for the fun fact. Guess which color is the best for use in hot sunny weather so you’re shaded and cool. After all, it is the reason you buy the thing in the first place. Black!!
Wait. What? Yes. Black. It seems counter intuitive. Not to mention the downer of having a big black umbrella on your beautiful patio. Apparently the color black can intercept 90% of the suns rays. It’s the same reason you should’t wear a black T shirt on a sunny day. It absorbs the heat and it’s in contact with your body. Be that as it may, I’m going with color for both the photos and the patio. Even if it means I’m a tad hotter.
Rain or sun umbrella?
Umbrellas are ubiquitous. They are seen in every culture. If they are not used for rain they are used for relief from the sun. Generally, one sees people carrying an umbrella on a rainy day but the first time I saw one used for individual sun protection was in Costa Rica. I remember thinking how clever it was to carry around your own shade. I was there during our summer months which is the rainy season there. It rains everyday. Most of the rain occurs during the afternoon hours but as the season progresses so does the rain.
The Costa Ricans carry umbrellas for two reasons: protection from the rain, and shade from the hot sun. In fact, Spanish has three words for umbrella. During sunny weather they use “parasol “for the sun” or”sombrilla” which means little shade. In downpours the word is “paraguas” which is “for water”. Very specific, right?
And then there’s the beach.
Whoa! that’s a lot of color. Can you imagine how different these photos would be with a black umbrella? For one thing, I never would have shot a black umbrella on the beach even if someone was clever enough to know it gives more protection from the sun. A rainy day in London with everyone walking around with black umbrellas? That would be a great black and white shot. But the beach is summer, fun, frolic, sun, play, and color.
My favorite umbrella photo
I have nine grandchildren. When each one turns eleven I take them to New York City for a long weekend. I have a great itinerary so they see all the iconic places like the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, Rockefeller Center, and others. One of my favorite places to take them is China Town. We eat in an authentic Chinese restaurant and stop in several shops. I love when they see the sea food kiosks with creatures that are actually moving. Not like the grocery stores back home in the suburb where nothing is alive. Dead as a doornail. Neither are they likely to see exotic produce like dragon fruit.
Their favorite stops is the Original China Town Ice Cream Factory. The only rule I have there is they have to order a flavor they never had before. No vanilla, strawberry or chocolate. So far no one has ever tried lychee nut. Coconut is exotic for them. After, we stop at a park that makes them feel like they are really in another country. It’s always filled with adults playing a game at a concrete table (I have no idea what it is). This particular day it was raining. My reward for an outing on a drizzly day was this fabulous scene of five colorful umbrellas on a gloomy afternoon. I’m so glad each lady had an umbrella in color! No black spoilers here! And as you might notice, my sweet grandson, Jacob, in the lower left hand corner, eating his pumpkin ice cream as he observes the scene.
Color Grandma very happy!
Leave a Reply