There's are many so-called "rules" in photography. And while rules are great guides when you are starting to make photos with your camera, rules are also meant to be broken. But one of the rules that should never be broken is the Red Rule. The Red Rule simply states: "If you see something red, shoot it." It was one of the first rules I learned. And I wander the highways and gravel roads making photos of Montana, still to this day, I follow that rule. And with Valentine's Day right around the corner I thought it would be timely to feature 20+ photos of the color red.
Following the Red Rule for me is simple. I photograph predominantly in rural America and rural America loves the color red. Rural America is teaming with red barns, red tractors, red produce, and red leaves. And the color red is generally easy to complement with other primary colors. For example, red barn against a blue sky or a red tractor on a field of green grass often makes a great photo.
The color red is arguably one of the most important colors in human history. Early cavemen, our species first artists, widely used the color red when making prehistoric drawings. In ancient Rome red symbolized blood and courage. During the French Revolution revolutionaries wore red clothing as a symbol of solidarity. The color red is also prominently featured in books; The Scarlet Letter, Red Badge of Courage, and Little Red Riding Hood chief among them. Red means excitement, energy, passion, love, desire, speed, strength, power, heat, aggression, danger, fire, and war. And of course, there's a reason stop signs are the color red.
So, in honor of Valentines Day, the one holiday that wouldn't be the same without the color red (or assorted dark chocolates from The Parrot Confectionery in Helena either, but I digress), I give you without further ado, 20+ photos of the color red.
Oh, and happy Valentine's Day!
To see more of my photos be sure to visit my new Photo Galleries page.
