This is the first of several posts looking at color in the natural world. The way we react to colors is distinct from how wildlife responds to them.

As a starter, I have chosen red–one of the three primary colors. For centuries red roses have been seen as a symbol of love and romance all over the world. Why red? This hot and vibrant color typically stands out from its surroundings–hence red letterboxes became the standard color in Britain in the latter part of the 19th century. It is also the color of blood and seeing red can increase the heartbeat. Because red is highly visible it is used in warning and stop signs. 

In China, red represents the color of fire in the five elements theory. It is regarded as the color that brings good luck and happiness and for this reason is forbidden at funerals. During the Chinese New Year and other holidays red is the predominant color seen in decorations—including papercuts—outside houses and red envelopes are used to give monetary gifts at this time. Red was also the color of Emperors' robes and traditionally Chinese brides wore red, but now most of them prefer to wear white wedding dresses.

Red plants

Just a single red poppy in a green field catches the eye, while a mass can take your breath away.  I can spend hours shooting in a poppy field getting very different crops with different lenses.

New shoots of tropical plants often open with red leaves that gradually turn green over a few days. The colors of any leaves become enriched after rain as washed off dust, as seen bere with Virginia creeper.  While still wet, natural light is preferable, with flash a definite no no - unless you want masses of distracting highlights on the leaves.

Plants produce fruits with an attractive scent or a bright color to attract animals to feast on them. Red fruits on shrubs or trees advertise their presence against green foliage attracting birds and mammals to feed on them. Large stones get dropped to the ground, while small seeds that are eaten pass out in droppings. 

Red animals 

Anyone who has caught a live lobster in European waters or seen fishermen emptying their lobster pots, will know these crustaceans are blue. So how do they change so dramatically to the bright red lobsters that appear in restaurants?  Most simply, the color change results from a breakdown of compounds on immersion in boiling water. The original blue color occurs from a natural dye (astaxanthine) binding with the protein beta-crustacyanin. Cooking breaks down the crustacyanin changing the astaxanthine to red.

Many deep sea crustaceans on the other hand appear bright red when alive. Here, red is highly beneficial since it enables them to blend in with their surroundings. As any diver knows, when you descend into the sea, the red wavelengths are the first to be absorbed, so that photographs taken without a flash have a blue/green cast. We see objects above the surface as red because they reflect red light; but a marine organism with a red body living at depths of around 500 meters, appears black, because here there are no red wavelengths. Therefore, it blends in with the inky void.

Photographing red

Birds that have bills adapted to feed on nectar frequently visit red flowers and in so doing aid their pollination. Hummingbirds visit an array of flowers, including small ones they feed on as they hover. Flowers visited by others birds that need to perch, have to be strong enough to support the weight of a bird.

Triopical trees that produce copious red flowers or fruits soon attract birds and monkeys that converge to take advantage of the seasonal bounty.  Then, it is not difficult to set up a tripod to take shots of the feeding bonanza.

In optimum weather conditions, the leaves of some deciduous trees turn a spectacular red color in autumn as the green chlorophyll breaks down and yellows and reds predominate.  The best fall colors occur when warm sunny days alternate with freezing nights and then the Japanese maples and red maples bring striking splashes of color to the countryside as well as gardens.

These are just a few examples of where red occurs in nature. There are many more, including red millipedes, starfish, red beetles and the red ibis.  Sometimes the color has more impact if it does not fill the frame.  

A site worth visiting:

http://www.nomadicdisplay.co.uk/news/education-resource/2008/Favourite_Colour.pdf