Just Red!

Intro by Skip Cohen

I have a lot of fun going back through the archives of Marathon’s blog team. In this case, I’m back to November of 2013 and a post from Suzette Allen.  But we’ve turned the clock eight years forward, and there’s another fun aspect to Suzette’s post that came to mind.

For all of you with younger children and grandchildren – have some fun with colors and put a camera in their hands. Then give them an assignment – pick a color and see how many shades they can come back with. Or, play the alphabet game and ask them to photograph things that start with the letters of the alphabet. Then, sit down and review the photographs with them.

You’ll be amazed at the world through their eyes, especially the younger they are. At around five, I remember we took my grandson to a Red Sox game, and I had a little Minolta point and shoot digital. So I gave him the camera and told him to tell the story of the day.

What I got back was a series of images of all the peanut shells on the ground, empty cups, the feet of people around us and he loved photographing the mole on the back of the neck of the guy in front of us – he thought it looked like a giraffe. LOL

Putting a camera in a kid’s hands is like shooting close-up/macro to the world around us. They see things we miss and take for granted, and now and then, the way they express themselves becomes memory-making.

So, at a time where life is still a little restricted – keep your kids busy and get them involved in imaging – you’ll never be disappointed!

By Suzette Allen

A moment of fun in the red leaves

Color stirs my soul. The full spectrum of color thrills my heart- enlightens my eyes. I recently stayed in a home filled with hundreds of Kaleidoscopes. I was nearly smitten by the colors and dancing patterns, the glorious light cascading over crystals and cut glass! But of all the colors, I think RED is my favorite.

Not any particular red—ALL the reds! Coral, watermelon, pastel pink, hot pink, raspberry, cranberry- even the names make my mouth water, not sure if it’s sweet or tangy, cool or hot, delicate or hard, approachable or offensive. Red can stir up your desire and make you melt with longing or make you turn away and hide your eyes so you don’t get hurt.

Red is like a blazing sunset- short-lived, rapturous, intense, pulsing between orange and hot pink, finally fading to a dull grayish pink as the sun lays her head on the mountains and closes her eyes. But before she drifts off, she’s a hot momma, fierce and orange and piercing and sizzling as she sets her mind to retire- almost as if she is fighting it.

Is the Sun a She or He? Definitely a She—and I love her rosy face when it is smoky. Like a smoldering alter-ego that she puts on with her smoking jacket and stiletto heels….so fashionably chic!

• Red is everywhere- red rocks are actually more like terra cotta orange, but so warm and welcoming compared to cold blue stone. Red roses- such a symbol of passion and love!
• Red lights: “hey! Be careful! Stop! Such intense danger, she cries!
• And blood… the most radical red symbolizes life– and screams life in such an alarming way that it cannot be ignored!
• All my favorite fruits are Red: cherry, raspberries, watermelon; yes, my three favorite fruits.
• An older more mature Red is Cranberry, and always a safe bet. She’s strong and understated, holding her place, standing her ground. She’s a serious gal. But in a way you really like, knowing she’s got a fun side, when and if the timing and circumstances are just right.
• But the innocence of Pink is always fresh and attractive, wholesome and sometimes shy. Makes you want to draw her out and stay awhile, and hope that her youth rubs off on you a little.
• But for playful and joyous energy, I love Coral. So fresh and cool, softly bold, uncalculated, uncomplicated, and definitely not serious. It makes you want to dart about like little fishes in the surf, trying to play hide and seek while the water surges in and out….

So many images come to mind, filling my imagination when I think about Red.

The Scarlet Letter, a red rose, the Golden Gate Bridge, the red light district, a clown’s nose, my favorite Rainbow Rose…

A color like Red needs a photographic essay; a bouquet of words and shades and a close-up of her face…. I wonder what shade she is today?