Lens CanvasLife in Color Photography : Red

Schoolchildren With Umbrellas

Photograph by Jodi Cobb

Nothing can dampen the enthusiasm of Taipei schoolchildren gathered for a celebration of Double Ten, Taiwan’s national day. Double Ten remembers the October 10, 1911, revolution that ended China’s last dynasty.

Download Wallpaper (1280 x 1024 pixels)

Dye Worker’s Hands

Photograph by Thomas J. Abercrombie

A teenage worker uses dye-stained hands to hold a tangled nest of red yarn. The boy lives in Khulm (formerly Tashkurgan), Afghanistan, a town noted for trade in sheep and wool.

Download Wallpaper (1280 x 1024 pixels)

East German Auto

Photograph by Ed Kashi

A red car sits on a dirty and deserted side street in communist East Berlin. East and West Germany were reunited in 1990 after 45 years of separation following the end of World War II.

Download Wallpaper (1600 x 1200 pixels)

Golden Damselfish

Photograph by Tim Laman

Red, the color of human blood, symbolizes passion, fire, love, and anger. In Eastern cultures, it also connotes luck and prosperity. Red occurs throughout nature, from dying stars to dying leaves, and humans have evoked its powers for everything from politics to sports.

Here, a brilliant red sea fan coral spreads behind a golden damselfish in waters off Fiji’s Namenalala Island.

Download Wallpaper (1600 x 1200 pixels)

Iron-Rich Creek Bed

Photograph by Michael Melford

Iron-rich rocks create a rust-red creek bed for fast-flowing waters in Alberta’s Waterton Lakes National Park. The Canadian park lies across the international border from Montana’s Glacier National Park.

Download Wallpaper (1600 x 1200 pixels)

Wedding Cave

Photograph by David Evans

Rich red draperies and glowing paper lanterns transform a rocky cave into a magical wedding hall in China’s Hubei Province. Red is the traditional color of Chinese wedding celebrations.

Download Wallpaper (1600 x 1200 pixels)

Fallen Maple Leaf

Photograph by Raul Touzon

A solitary red maple leaf lies on the trunk of a downed tree in Maine’s Acadia National Park. The United States is home to some 90 different species of maple trees.

Download Wallpaper (1600 x 1200 pixels)

Maple Leaves

Photograph by Al Petteway

A Maryland maple tree shows off the flaming foliage beloved by “leaf-peepers.” Experts say most people judge the quality of each autumn’s foliage by the prevalence of red leaves.

Download Wallpaper (1600 x 1200 pixels)

Geisha’s Lips

Photograph by Jodi Cobb

A geisha in Kyoto, Japan, applies the blood-red lipstick that completes her traditional makeup. Modern geisha carry on an ancient profession; they privately entertain Japan’s rich and powerful men and maintain total confidentiality.

Download Wallpaper (1600 x 1200 pixels)

Moroccan Mosque

Photograph by Thomas J. Abercrombie

A glowing keyhole arch and dusty-red walls frame the minaret of Al Berdain Mosque in Meknès, Morocco. The arch’s lighting also suggests a crescent moon, one of Islam’s traditional symbols.

Download Wallpaper (1600 x 1200 pixels)

Sea Oats

Photograph by Medford Taylor

Darkness lends a reddish tint to sea oats bending with storm-whipped winds in Saxis, Virginia. The salt-loving tall grass thrives in beach ecosystems and helps to form and protect sand dunes by collecting windblown grains.

Download Wallpaper (1600 x 1200 pixels)

Child’s Shadow

Photograph by Chris Johns

The fleeting shadow of a San (Bushman) child races across a red wall in Welkom, South Africa. Like many San the boy’s family lived as squatters for nearly two decades, forgotten by African governments.

Download Wallpaper (1600 x 1200 pixels)

Smoking Sadhu

Photograph by Michael Yamashita

A Hindu ascetic, or sadhu, wrapped in a bright-red cloth, smokes underneath a vad (banyan) tree outside a temple in Mumbai (Bombay), India. Sadhus devote themselves to the spiritual life, own few possessions, and typically depend on donations to survive.

Download Wallpaper (1280 x 1024 pixels)

Lake Magadi

Photograph by Emory Kristof

Kenya’s Lake Magadi blushes under a bacteria bloom following a rainstorm. The extremely salty, alkali lake holds little life, but its waters are a favorite spot for wading birds.

Download Wallpaper (1600 x 1200 pixels)

Sumac Leaves

Photograph by Jim Richardson

Sumac leaves glow red in the autumn light at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas. The grassy prairie landscape is dotted with shrub thickets of sumac and dogwood, which are favored by birds and small animals.