When we look at a scene, our visual nerves register color in terms of the attributes of color: the amount of green-or-red, the amount of blue-or-yellow, and the brightness.
Note that these attributes are opposites, like hot and cold. Color nerves sense green or red—but never both and blue or yellow—but never both. Thus, we never see bluish-yellows or reddish-greens. The opposition of these colors forms the basis of color vision.
Color attributes were first understood by 19th century physiologist Ewald Hering who made color charts. His charts show how all colors arise from a combination of green-or-red, blue-or-yellow, and brightness.
Our modern understanding of light and color began with Isaac Newton (1642-1726) and a series of experiments that he published in 1672. He was the first to understand the rainbow—the same process that causes white light to be refracted into colors by a prism. We see about six colors in a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. Those colors are associated with different wavelengths of light. When light passes through a prism the light bends. As a result, the different colors that make up white light become separated. This happens because each color has a particular wavelength and each wavelength bends at a different angle.
Colors tend to affect our moods and can even set the tone in any given atmosphere. The blue ocean evokes calm while red stimulates energy. In a world as large as ours there’s a lot of colorful places out there waiting to welcome visitors. Add some excitement to your world and discover these natural and man-made beauties that are bursting with color.
Like music or sound, color can carry us away and inspire us in ways we never imagined or take us back to places and spaces we remember fondly. In the words of renowned New Mexico artist, Georgia O’Keefe, “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way—things I had no words for.”
From the orange hues of a Sonoran Desert sunset amid towering saguaros to the soothing blues of Lake Powell to the expansive views of red rock landscape surrounding Moab, nature is alive with color.
The United States has no shortage of beautiful places whether it’s epic national parks or charming small towns. But there are some spots that tend to saturate your memory more than others—places so vivid, it almost seems like they have a permanent filter. If you’re looking to explore the most colorful places in America, we’ve rounded up some stunning suggestions for you from brightly painted houses in Charleston to endless fields of tulips in the Pacific Northwest.
The horseshoe-shaped, russet rock hoodoo formations of Bryce Canyon National Park are a true sight to behold. This is one of the world’s highest concentrations of hoodoos and their colors alternate between shades of purple, red, orange, and white.
A classic New England village at the base of Vermont’s highest peak, Stowe is the perfect place for admiring the fall foliage. The above image of the whitewashed Stowe Community Church set against the brilliant shades of gold, red, and orange is emblematic of the town.
Southern charm, historic architecture, and colorful façades are what make Charleston so captivating. Rainbow Row, named for its Easter-egg-tinted homes, is one of the most photographed areas in the city.
Tulip farms are a perennial favorite for color enthusiasts—their happy blooms are big and bright, creating waves of color when planted together. Fields of tulips are scattered throughout the Skagit Valley as are the many activities that comprise the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Or head to Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm in Woodburn, Oregon to witness acres of land exploding in color. The farm is home to dozens upon dozens of varieties featuring fascinating displays of red, pink, orange, yellow, and white flowers.
Clay and sandstone worn by the eons into dramatic formations take on unlikely shades in Arizona’s Painted Desert. Lavender, orange, red, gray and pink tones stretch across the stone in layers of geologic history. The colors change as the sun moves across the sky, but the one that rarely emerges is green. The landscape is beautiful but barren.
There’s a colorful world to discover.
Worth Pondering…
All colors are the friends of their neighbors and the lovers of their opposites.
—Marc Chagall
