I don’t like grey as a colour to wear.
But grey as a colour elsewhere is a different story altogether. I love using grey while doing a page layout for a report or a book or even a cover design. I love the greys that one can see in a cloud covered, rain-soaked monsoon sea in Mumbai. I love it if I can bring in a touch of grey into the frame while photographing.
One day, I managed to capture not a touch of grey but a whole range of greys from a dark stormy grey to a light wispy grey, with about 50 shades of grey separating these two.
This photograph was taken almost at the end of a great day spent exploring the Docklands of London and travelling by the DLR. This was at Canary Wharf the heart of London’s financial district and also its central business district. The steel and glass and the moody grey skies put up a great show for photo-ops. I took quite a few, but this one remains my favourite. I find it interesting how the grey dominates the frame, but does not overwhelm or depress. And I love that little touch of red and glassy green from the windows, which adds that something special to the picture. It’s almost like poetry !
Don’t you think these different shades of grey convey power, business, purpose and beauty all at the same time?
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Unlike you, I love grey, anywhere, even in my dress. Some might call it dull and nondescript, but for me, it has strength and character and reality, for doesn’t it combine the two extremes of white and black and give you a believable shade, especially of human characters?
However, are you sure there are only 50 shades of grey there? On an aside, I was wondering if this was a book review and was curious to know how you managed to combine it with your travel shot 😛
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I like grey too, Zephyr. Just not on me 😀 My Mom loves grey and beige and all the “dull” colours possible. And since mothers and daughters should not wear the same colours, I wear totally different colours 😛 Besides, I look ghastly in grey !
Grey does have strength and character and also a hint of mystery, which is why I like this photograph so much.
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I also actually thought that it was a book review by the title 😀
I don’t like much of grey.. a little bit in my outfits accentuates them but not whole solid color. But this shot really conveys power and some level of subtlety too.
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I have read the book, but a review of that is not going to be posted here. 😀 Not worth it, really.
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lovely shot, indeed! i dont like grey either, but one of the first sarees gifted to me was grey… and i was disappointed.,until i wore it.. and then it became my favourite! it has long become unwearable, but i still have it 😀 though i still cant bring myself to buy anything grey!
and btw, ti too wondered if this was your book review at last!
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By the time your comment came in I was wondering if I had erred in choosing this title for the post 😀 And no, don’t buy another grey saree !
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This one reminds me of that multitudinous shades of red on view in my trek in the Zanskar Valley in Ladakh! One of the rare occasions when I was captivated by the various shades of one color. This one is another!
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Thanks, Suresh. I would love to see that “multitudinous shades of red” that you saw. Do you have a picture that you can share?
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I am, unfortunately, no photographer, Sudha! Apparently there were iron pyrites in the soil there – or some such thing! The color ply was just out of the world. When the sun was out the color palette was different and when the sun went behind the clouds the scenery looked totally new! Those sights are still etched in my mind.
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Don’t know why I thought that you were referring to flowers, when you mentioned different shades of red! Iron or rather the content and percentage of iron can change and alter landscapes all around. I have never been to the Zanskar valley and can only imagine from your descriptions. Have you been to Badami? The distinctive red in the sandstones there come from iron and there are bands in the sandstones which are richer in iron than the durroundings and create beautiful patterns. You are on my FB, aren’t you? There is an album called Badami rocks, where you can see this.
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Been to Badami, yes, but that was the time when it rained badly enough for the entire Gadag district to be cut off. And I was more into the sculpture at Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal. Intend visiting again and shall look for this then.
I am on the FB list I think. Shall look up.
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Indeed Sudhagee, grey combined with the structures has an intimidating aura in this capture!
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I am beginning to think that grey also denoted power. The power behind the scenes type. I had gone to Nariman Point, which is Mumbai’s financial centre, the other day and saw so many shades of grey there. It was unbelievable.
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to me it looks gloomy!
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Hmmm… gloomy yes as it was about to rain. But do see the portion in the left of the picture which is shiny with light. The sun was shining through in that patch !
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GREY 🙂 well please dont find this atrocious or anything like that I am just giving my view on GREY 🙂
I admire grey as it has both white and black, which is the way of the world these days ..
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I don’t find your views on grey as atrocious at all, in fact they are quite simialr to mine. It’s just that I would never wear grey. Ever. 😀
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It looks gloomy to me, too. 😦 But I love the pic – there are so many different shades of grey captured in it!
So many colours, so many shades of each one – what a colourful, beautiful world we live in! 🙂
I personally do not like grey too much, except if it is the silvery grey of a car. 😀 I do wear grey sometimes, a grey that is not too dull and dark, but just right – and I wear it for formal occasions.
The husband LOVES grey. If he could, his whole wardrobe would be grey. 🙂 In fact, he was wearing grey when we met for the first time. 😀
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Thank you. This is one of my favourite pictures too and I never tire of seeing this one. It’s gloomy yes, but somehow also manages to convey the so many possibilities, much like the world we live in.
And what is it with men and grey? My brothers like it and a colleague wears only grey !
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I’ve always painted melancholy with grey in my writings… it was a good experience seeing grey from your perspective… and it’s a good shot 🙂
Regards,
Anunoy Samanta
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http://just4suzan.blogspot.com
http://imakemytrip.blogspot.com
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Welcome here, Anonoy, and thank you so much for stopping by and commenting. Glad that you liked the greys in the photograph too. 🙂
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Love the snap…and I like grey too…atleast in cars (most of all- have a grey car myself!), buildings and combination of grey with bright colours like pink or magenta!
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Welcome here, Mansee and thank you so much for stopping by and commenting.:-)
One of the most beautiful use of grey I saw was at the campus of CMC Vellore nearly 15 years back. All the buildings were painted grey and had different coloured bands distinuishing one building from the other. So I saw grey and terracotta, grey and dark green, grey and red, grey and navy blue, grey and yellow and grey and black. And this was set amongst a lush green campus. I still remember this after so many years.
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It’s actually my favourite place in all of London. I love the feel of power in the air, the tall buildings, women in business suits (wait, maybe I shouldn’t discuss that here 😉 and just being there. Lovely photo.
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Ya, ya, I know of your love for the Canary Wharf area of London. 😛 Thanks, Raghav. I like London. Period.
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I love black and white in photography. Grey feels right for power. But i cant take it when there is just Grey and black and white cars, clothes and stations… As in Seoul. Very less color choices in winter 😦
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I low B&W in photography too. And grey too. As for colours during winter, I got depressed not seeing too many colours in London during winter and would wear multicoloured gloved to cheer myself :-). You could do that too !
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For a minute there, after reading the title, I was horrified at the thought of you reviewing the piece of trash known as 50 shades of gray. You can’t imagine my relief post reading. 🙂
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You know, Meera, I might just do that and dedicate that post to you. 😉 😛
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Exactly my thoughts! 😀
Sudha, I loved the picture even more for that reason. 🙂
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😀 But tell me, doesn’t the picture have so many different shades of grey?
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