SEEING RED! The Redhead Days Festival by Ori Cohen

June 4, 2015 follow ups, Guest Post, Just for fun, Mirrorless, Sony, User Reports 28

SEEING RED! The Redhead Days Festival

by Ori Cohen

Hi Steve,

My name is Ori Cohen and I have been following your website for many years. I am an avid photographer, a computer science Phd student, and a graphic artist, but first and foremost I am a redhead, a redhead married to a redhead. As you well know redheads are usually singled out most of their lives and the and it may come as a surprise to everyone, but redheads share this unexplained bond; to a point where you walk down the street, lock eyes with another redhead and instantly there is some connection. You can probably guess why I married a redhead.

Once a year at the beginning of September there is a special weekend for all redheads. In the town of Breda, Holland, thousands of redheads from around the world gather in the redhead days festival. Our first time was two years ago, we went to the festival in order to see for once, how does it feel to be the same as everyone else around us. It is hard to explain the first shock of seeing so many people who kind of resemble you, and in many ways it is intoxicating. In the festival I had the opportunity to photograph a lot redheads; many became our friends and today we have a growing community of redheads on facebook. In fact, last year while travelling abroad, we randomly met a redhead that recognised us from the festival.

Photography wise, I like carrying as little gear as possible. I usually carry several small near-weightless primes. On our first visit I brought my trusty Sony A300 and a Minolta 50mm f/1.4, and on our second visit I had a Sony NEX-7 Sony 16mm\F2.8, Minolta 24mm f/2.8, 35mm f/2, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 and a Minolta 50mm f/1.4. For portraits on a crop sensor I tend to use 30mm, 35m, and 50mm as they allow me to shoot in situations when people are around me. For group shots, crowds, and In doors I used the 16mm or the 24mm, which allows me to get a better sense of the atmosphere in the room.

The festival holds several main events: the pub-crawl, the opening ceremony, and the gathering in the park. There is an atmosphere of friendliness all around, and I can shoot anyone without asking for permission. I usually just aim the camera at random people and they stop for me, for as long as I need.

The pub-crawl provides a wonderful opportunity to get to know new people and capture some of the conversations and playfulness that happens after dark when people are drinking A LOT of beer, and it’s also a wonderful opportunity to get to know new people from around the world.

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During the ceremony I try to find a spot on the balcony, which overlooks a crowd of several hundred redheads, while trying not to lose sight of my wife. I usually don’t need to worry about losing my wife in a crowd, but when everybody has the same hair color as her, I need to keep a watchful eye :). You will be surprise to learn that there are many types of “ginger” genes out there, not just for fair skinned people, even dark skinned people can get a reddish hue in their hair, as seen in some of my photos.

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Immediately after the ceremony, people walk slowly toward the park for the annual record-breaking count of redheads. Two years ago we even broke a Guinness world record. While crammed in one spot, it is a perfect opportunity to shoot portraits of people. My wife thinks that I only shoot pretty redhead girls, but I actually try to do as many portraits as possible (of everyone!).

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The festival is not only for redheads but also for their friends, anyone who wishes to participate can come, in fact the city is crawling with photographers and videographers from all around the world. Everyone is welcome!

Thank you for reading.

My facebook photography blog: https://www.facebook.com/oricohenphotography

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28 Comments

  1. The woman holding the baby in the red polka dot dress is my doppelgänger. I was sent the uncropped version and was shocked. Then even more shocked it was from 2014 lol. I did a little digging to try and find her name. It’s not everyday you see a picture of someone who could be your twin. It’s on my bucket list to go to a redhead festival one day.

  2. Love this! Just goes to show that having an awesome subject really helps photography! I too have a NEX 7 and a red-head wife.

  3. As a real ginger when young afraid to say now it is as an OAP very faded but hasn’t gone white yet lol. Would love to attend if I was younger but I will just keep taking photographs instead

  6. Great idea, great photo op, thanks for sharing. What else can I say except, “In my next life, I too should marry a redhead.”

  7. Very nice shots!!! Btw my uncle is a redhead as his son and two daugthers! And my first gf was one too so I’m partial to them 😀

  12. Thank you for taking the time to document the strife faced by those suffering from gingervitis.

    (all kidding aside, really nice portraits)

  13. Wow! The group shot with the little sisters in front and a sea of redheads behind… what an incredibly captivating image! And some nice portraits in perfect diffused light, especially the bushy beard gentlemen in the bowler hat. Thank you for sharing, Ori. These shots commanded my attention and invoked some emotions… which I think is the definition of good photography!

    • Thank you very much, I’m glad it touched you! the sisters are the two on the right, but they do look like sisters :). The weather In Breda for the last 2 years was awesome, the light was diffused all day because of the clouds, the perfect weather for daylight photography!

  15. You hear the one about the redhead convention? Not a single soul showed up. All joking aside, great photos. Love it when people show that not the latest cam is needed to take awesome photos.

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