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Wedding Ceremony
Photograph by Michael Nichols, National Geographic
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, Samburu families celebrate during a three-day wedding ceremony in Kenya. Several days of elaborate ceremonies are designed to counteract superstitions and bring the new couple good luck.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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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.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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Kitt Peak National Observatory
Photograph by James P. Blair, National Geographic
A red laser is used to illuminate imperfections in a giant mirror at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona. The observatory includes the largest collection of optical telescopes in the world.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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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.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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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.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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Ballroom Dancers
Photograph by Brain Lanker, National Geographic
Ballroom dancers perform for judges during a competition in New York. Styles of ballroom dance include the Viennese waltz, the tango, and the fox-trot.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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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.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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Wildflowers
Photograph by Annie Griffiths
Poppies bloom near Mount Tabor in the Lower Galilee in spring. The Galilee attracts both tourists and religious pilgrims to its holy sites.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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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.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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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.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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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.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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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.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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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.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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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.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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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.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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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.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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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.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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