Colour and Colour Blindness - How It Changes Photography and Life

Seeing colours is wonderful, something one tends to take for granted. I still have old black and white photos of holidays. Nowadays my travel photos are different. Photos of colourful flowers are more important.

Story
In a recent speech contest I spoke about my late Uncle Ronnie who was color blind. When he was dying I visited him in Barnet hospital and took him flowers. He was not interested in flowers because he could not see the colors - even the shapes were obscured by his inability to see color.

I saw being color blind as a blight on his life and started to appreciate what a big part color played in my life.

Only when I asked him about his life did I see that being color blind contributed to his focus on his other senses so that he became a BBC orchestra violinist.

What was more remarkable, being color blind prevented him from being a pilot. At the time he was upset. But pilots in the Battle of Britain lived only four years. His life was saved because he was colour blind.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Where To See Colourful buildings which change colour to light the night in Singapore

Problem
How to bighten a sad day - when you have a long journey or lose your way.

Answer
Photograph a colourful building, such as this one, changing colour in Singapore.

Stories

Two buildings which I have stopped to admire and photograph in Singapore:

The Hamilton building is a skyscraper standing beside the Sheraton Towers hotel in Scotts Road running north just along from the centre of Singapore, Orchard Road. This is a private development. The block's oblong lines are stark, but relieved by colour. At night the lights change colour.

Going further out of town, the Nee Soon East Community Centre, a public building, is soothingly circular and equally colourful with changing lights.

For me, seeing colour is a blessing a big part of my life. I wear colourful clothes. What I like about Singapore and the far east is that the tropical climate makes flowers bloom all year, so the scenery is colourful. Housing and clothes are made to match their surroundings.

Tips
To reach the Sheraton Towers Hotel and see the Hamilton building you could take the MRT train from Orchard to Newton. Alternatively take a bus. Or you could walk.

To reach Nee Soon East community centre, take the MRT to Yishun MRT. The community centre is on maps but even when you are out in the roadway by the giant junction it is hard to remember which way to go. Passers by don't all know the community centre. However it is opposite the bus garage interchange.

See my later post on the Hamilton.
Photos by Angela Lansbury, copyright.
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.