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What colour is water?


What colour is water?
Photo Information
Copyright: Jean Dwyer (jean11-3) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 591 W: 0 N: 661] (2861)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-06-12
Categories: Nature
Camera: Sony cybershot DSC-N1
Exposure: f/4, 1/640 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-12-03 14:44
Viewed: 491
Points: 16
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I love to see the sea in all its' moods.Looking at this shot I thought 'Why is the sea a lovely turquoise?' It was a greyish kind of day with not a lot of bright sunshine.

The usual answer to my question is that water hasn't any colour, it is clear,or transparent, and the sea only appears blue because of the reflection of the sky.Wrong.

Water really is blue.It's an incredibly faint shade, but it is blue.You can see this in nature when you look into a deep hole in the snow,or through the thick ice of a frozen waterfall.If you took a very large, very deep white pool, filled it with water and looked straight down through it, the water would be blue.

This faint blue tinge doesn't explain why water sometimes takes on a strikingly blue appearance when we look through it.Reflected colour from the sky obviously plays an important part.The sea doesn't look particularly blue on an overcast day.

But not all the light we see is reflected from the surface of the water; some of it is coming from under the surface.The more impure the water, the more colour it will reflect.

In large bodies of water like seas and lakes the water will usually contain a high concentration of microscopic plants and algae.Rivers and ponds will have a high concentration of soil and other solids in suspension.

All these particles reflect and scatter the light as it returns to the surface, creating huge variations in the colours we see.
It explains why you sometimes see a brilliant green Mediterranean sea under a bright blue sky.

I hope that helps to answer the question....
Anyway thanks for looking.
shelbeesmom, Jong, gildasjan, dareco, Hendrika has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Jean,
Nice shot and note, you can almost hear the waves breaking below, nice colours and I like the way you have captured the water.
Well done
Regards Andy

  • Great 
  • Jong Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 413 W: 0 N: 249] (2750)
  • [2007-12-03 17:43]

very clean and clear sea, white waves against the blue water. i like your angle also

Bonjour Jean
Très belle vue de cette côte sauvage,la couleur de la mer est très rafraichissante.Une réalisation nette et bien exposée.
Du beau job.
Have a nice day.
Gildas

HA! Jinx, your it! I was critiquing your photo..while you were critiquing mine! Is that not weird! Excellent shot here, beautiful white tips to the waves! Very nice!
Linda
B-)........pt

Hi Jean
In fact, pure water has no color. This water here looks turquoise and I like it like that. This a nice shot of a rough sea beating the rocks. Great point of view. SWplendid composition
Bravo
Serge

  • Great 
  • dareco Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1245 W: 15 N: 630] (11278)
  • [2007-12-04 20:13]

EXCELLENT!! I've tried to take pictures like this but haven't had alot of luck. This is a perfect capture of the water!!! Fantastic colors. TFS

Hi Jean,

Those different shades of blue are indeed amazing and you seem to have capture a very moody sea. What force those waves have.
I enjoyed reading your explanation.

TFS both picture and note,

Els
:)follow

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1535 W: 145 N: 2173] (18942)
  • [2007-12-07 6:38]

Hello Jean, that's a well composed seascape, the colors, textures and movements are really great. Well doen, thanks.

Mario

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