Red Balls and Ribbons Hanging in the Air

It’s now November, and Panama is getting ready to celebrate its Independence Days and Christmas.  We already celebrated the 3rd of November, day of Separation from Colombia, 4th of November, Flag Day, 5th of November, Colon’s Day and November 10th, Day of the Independence Shout at Villa de los Santos.  We are now waiting for November 28th, Independence Day from Spain.  As you can see, November is a month full of national holidays, all related to the history of this great nation.

November is also a transition month to Christmas.  Some malls are decking the stores with Christmas decorations.  It’s not yet in full swing, but the intentions are there.  When December arrives, we’ll see a tropical country transformed into a Northern Hemisphere country flooded with giant Christmas trees,  snow flakes and Santa’s reindeers.  Children’s love it.

Below are several pictures of several bright red Christmas balls hanging from the ceiling at Metro Mall.  I loved the hanging bright red ribbons and their  reds Christmas spheres.  Straight vertical lines just can’t be missed, and have to be captured with a camera obscura.  Below are the pictures of a Christmas in transition in Panama City, Panama.  Here we go.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Yep, Christmas is coming soon, and children in Panama just can’t wait.  Soon Ho, Ho, Ho will be heard everywhere within the country.  Good Day.

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Lines in Photography

Lines play an important part in the exciting world of photography.  Not all lines project the same feelings.  Different lines create a different atmosphere in a picture.  I enjoy taking pictures of edifices in Panama which have straight vertical lines—they project a sense of security and strength.

Gloria Hopkins, a professional photographer in Florida had this to say about vertical lines:

“Prominent vertical lines are the most powerful lines in visual art. We may associate them with a feeling of strength, height, integrity, solidity, dominance and power such as when viewing a tree, skyscraper, flagpole or anything else standing tall and sturdy.”

Below are several pictures of a gorgeous building located in the neighborhood of Bellavista in Panama City, Panama.  The name of the building is “Casa Blanca” (White House).  I fell in love with this beautiful building and its straight vertical lines all over the structure.  Enjoy.

 

Credit: ©Omar Upegui R.

In this picture you can appreciate the straight vertical lines of the columns and the vertical lines of the iron fence outside the building. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

It’s difficult to describe the beauty of the straight vertical lines in this picture. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

The name of the building can be clearly seen in dark letters over a snow-white surface. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

There are more pictures of this delicious white building waiting in the wings.  If you return tomorrow, you’ll  delight  your eyes with more images of a building designed with uncommon exquisite taste.  I wish our architechts would design more buildings like this.  Sigh!  Good Day.

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Waiting Within Lines

A lonely passenger waits for a bus in Panama City, Panama. (©Omar Upegui R.)

I recently finished reading and re-reading the first chapter of my new photograph book, Langford’s Starting Photography. The title of the the first part is, Picture Making. It explains in plain layman’s terms the general principles of photography that has nothing to do with the nitty-gritty techniques of photography.  Everything is explained in common-sense photography.

At the end of the first chapter, Langford, suggests several projects to apply lessons explained earlier in his book   He explains, “This first part has been concerned with ‘seeing’—with not taking simple everyday objects for granted, but observing them at mixtures of shapes and forms, with various color and pattern characteristics, and set against a background.”

In Developing a Personal Approach, Langford requests, “Throughout this section of the book, we have concentrated on looking at how controlling the elements of art and design (color, texture, pattern, line, contrast) produces strong photographs.  Make a series of five photographs which feature each of these elements in turn.”

On my first assignment I went for lines—vertical and horizontal lines.  I framed the subject within vertical and horizontal lines.  Straight vertical lines convey the feeling of strength and straight horizontal lines convey a sense of solidness and tranquility.

In the photograph above, you can visualize a strong vertical line on each side side of the structure where the young woman is sitting down and several horizontal lines of the road in front of the subject.  Automobiles are sliding gracefully along these horizontal lines.  It’s a simple composition to express the feeling of waiting for a bus that never comes.  It’s like being imprisoned between vertical and horizontal lines, thus the title of the photograph, Waiting Within Lines.

I’ll be posting my photographic progress—if any—in the posts to come.  My next assignment will be about a fast-changing active situation—fire.  Until next time, Good Day.

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