2009年02月19日

The door in the back alleys of southern Malaysia

Some towns seem to have taken the meme of painting everything in nice colors very seriously.  I wonder how these things get started.  I assume, like other things, a few well-connected neighbors in conspicuous places start painting their homes with interesting colors, and then it spreads on its own.   Anyway, however it starts, I think its cool and I wish stuff was colorful like this everywhere!

The door in the back alleys of southern Malaysia (by Stuck in Customs)

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

See more photos from Malaysia, Melaka, Nikon D2XS, Travel
  • ahmed

    wow…. very wow!

  • http://jenolsenphotographics.blogspot.com Jen

    very cool…. :)

  • http://lightningpaul.shutterchance.com LightningPaul

    After the fall of communism in Poland, all buildings were gray. It was looking very depressing. The last decade they started to paint the buildings in several very nice colors. They use blue, green, yellow, brown, orange. Every time I visit this country I see more and more colored houses and apartments.
    The image is very nice, I like details and textures of the walls a lot. The color combination is a bit odd.

  • http://Facebook Angela

    Here in South Africa if you drive into the “country” (we call them rural areas) you will see a brightly coloured house or door or window frame every few kilometers. I once asked an African why he painted his house such a bright colour and he replied that he got the paint for free. How sad! But also beautiful how it stood out and he was so proud. Many houses are built of mud or plastered with mud. Nowadays there are more modern houses in these areas so they are plastered with cement but then they might run out of money so they don’t get a coat of paint for a while. Sometimes years. The traditional houses are the prettiest with their traditional markings.
    Anyway, just wanted to say beautiful photo. Love the colours!

  • Indibang

    You are awesome. You make not so beautiful look great through your camera and software.

  • http://blogtomc.blogspot.com TomC

    I love happening on places like this. Like you, I often wonder how these things get started. You do a great job of capturing it and presenting it in a way that makes them even more wonderful. Well Done.

  • http://www.pbase.com/zarabeth Fenraven

    I hear Norway is full of brightly-colored houses, a response to long winters of bitter cold and a monochromatic palette. I have always wondered why people up here in MN and WI don’t do the same. However, it is mostly true that houses are painted in really boring basic colors of white (I’m guessing 80% or more!) and gray, some blue and green. I admit I repainted in white with black accents last spring, because it was easy and cheap to stick with the same colors. I did, however, paint the back door a beautiful bright red.

  • http://www.stuckincustoms.com Stuck In Customs

    Thanks all… glad you all like colorful places as much as me!

    It’s strange that, at least where I live, so many houses are made out of bricks… you can’t really do much with brick. It’s always got the same kinda look, and painting brick looks funny.

  • casusan

    Wonderful textures and colors Trey!

  • Dale Martin

    Wonderful photo Try!

  • hominis

    You’d enjoy Newfoundland & Labrador. Most all of the buildings there are very colourful. My understanding is that it started in the outport communities as a means of assisting fishermen navigate. I’ve googled a sample of the capital, St. John’s to give you a sense of what it is like.

    http://flickr.com/photos/21108304@N02/2570806973/

    Fantastic site. I enjoy your art.

  • Todd

    Great photo!

    Many years ago, I took a high school field trip to Fermi National Laboratory outside of Chicago. The scientists lived on site on a strip of identical houses, and since they were in a secure area, they rarely locked the doors.

    Because the scientists were prone to work into all hours of the night and come home exhausted, there was an unintended consequence of the scientists wandering into the wrong houses. Their solution was to paint the houses in bright and distinct colors.

    While traveling through Europe over the past couple of years – especially in Barcelona and Lisbon – I noticed their homes were painted in very bright colors, much like this photo. I couldn’t help but wonder if their motivation was much the same as the scientists at Fermi.

    But I like Fenraven’s and LightningPaul’s explanation better, though.

  • http://www.stuckincustoms.com Stuck In Customs

    Cool info — that is a good story!

  • http://2oclock.co.uk JohnB

    Well impressed with this image. fantastic texture and vivicity.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Trey-Ratcliff/502475833 Trey Ratcliff

    Testing comments…

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Justin-Woods/1364880155 Justin Woods

    Beautiful! I was in Melaka last June.

  • http://photo.jarofjuice.com KJ

    Absolutely marvelous! Love the colors on this one.

  • http://www.chaiselounge.info/ chaise lounge

    gorgeous

  • http://www.photosedge.com Erin – Kansas City Photographers

    Beautiful I love how simple and bold this is.