A Snapshot of Me and Blue

By John Magor, Owner of John Magor Photography

Curiously, in many different languages blue was one of the last colors defined and given a name.  Universally, black and white came first, then red, and though the order may vary slightly after that, blue is usually the last.  Ancient Greeks did not have specific words for the color blue; in Homer’s Odyssey, he described the sea as “wine-dark”.  Even into the late 19th century, cultures across the globe were content to use “black” to describe green, violet, and blue.  However, as languages developed, so did the fascination with the color blue, in all its hues. 

As a photographer, I am captivated by the myriad of blue shades in the sky and water and am fortunate to have captured their beauty, both at home and overseas.

One of my favorite places to shoot is the Caribbean. It has an unparalleled variety of blues.  It has the rich blue-greens of the Caribbean Sea that serve as a backdrop to white sand beaches.  It has the deep royal blues of the night sky that act as a canvas for a million twinkling stars.  And it also has the bright blues that reveal themselves when the clouds dissipate and the sun warms up Esperanza Bay. 

You do not have to take a plane to see blue in all of its glory.  Here at home, one of my favorite pastimes is to ride my motorcycle out into the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia.  With my camera gear stowed in my pack, I am ready to pull to the side of the road at a moment’s notice when I see the possible makings of a photograph.  Two of the key ingredients are a crisp blue sky and interesting cloud formations.

The sense of calm, the peacefulness of a rich blue sky over bucolic scenery wipes away the stresses of our hustle-bustle 21st century existence, and connects me to the natural world in a way that rejuvenates my spirit.  The azure blue sky and its reflection in the waters of the Rappahannock River as it gently moves past Fredericksburg, Virginia do the same.

Blue is everywhere in the natural world, as it also is in automobile colors like Axalta’s Automotive Color of the Year 2016 – Brilliant Blue, and plays a big role in my photography.  It is hard to imagine the inability to call something blue.  Blue is not black, nor violet, nor green.  It is its own hue and adds an irreplaceable splendor to the world around us.

About John Magor

John Magor is an architectural and commercial photographer with nearly twenty years of experience.  After being involved in the construction and decorating industry for many years, he developed a passion for photography, specifically architectural and interior design photography.  John’s architectural work has been featured in local, regional and national publications, and can be seen on numerous clients’ websites from interior designer sites, to architectural, custom remodeling firms, builders, manufacturers, and more.

John also loves to photograph nature, whether it involves a two-week stint in a faraway place, or a two-hour trip into the Virginia countryside.

John resides in Stafford, Virginia, just south of Washington, D.C.  He can be reached at his website www.johnmagor.com, and www.Facebook.com/JohnMagorPhotography.