Black and White Photo Challenge - Final Day

This watery reflection soothes me - as water always does. Does water calm you too? Or is it just because I grew up surrounded by it?

It is Day 5, the final day, of my participation in the Black and White Photo Challenge.  Nominated by Joie Moring, the challenge is to post a B&W photo and to nominate another person to join the challenge each day for 5 days. Today I nominate Thereza Howling who finds calm serenity all around her and a keen connection with the sea. In fact, she dips her toes into water everywhere she travels around the world explaining that all water is connected.

Thank you to Kenda-Lee Gaynham, Heike Grodecki, Dagmar Fleuren and David M. Small for playing along with the Black and White challenge!

Black and White Photography Day 4

Day 4 of my Black and White Photo Challenge and I had to post a pic of some of the dramatic clouds that flew past my window yesterday. From warm sun and bright sky to deep dark clouds, rain and high wind, it definitely felt like November.

The B&W Photo Challenge consists of posting B&W photos for 5 days and each day nominating someone to join the challenge. Today I would like to nominate David M. Small who is a fabulous photographer... and has been a family friend for over 50 years!

Thanks to Joie Moring for nominating me and to Kenda-Lee Gaynham, Heike  Grodecki and Dagmar Fleuren for playing along!

Black and White Day 3

Day 3 of my Black & White Photography Challenge and I am drawn to this mass of bicycles atop a van - the sculpture set off by the white washed wall behind.

Whenever I see large numbers of bicycles I'm immediately reminded of the Netherlands and my dear friend Dagmar Fleuren who tells me the question in Holland isn't 'do you have a bicycle?' but rather 'how many bicycles do you have?'.

I am nominating Dagmar to join the challenge - she is a true master of photography (if you want some amazing eye candy, visit her website). 

By the way, know anyone getting married? If you want a truly creative touch for wedding photography, it is completely worth it to fly her across the pond!

Black and White

Joie Moring has nominated me to participate in a Black & White Photography Challenge in which nominees post one black & white image and nominate another to join the challenge each day for 5 days. So today I challenge the lovely Kenda-Lee Gaynham who has an amazing eye for detail, shape and value. For my first photo I'm sharing a bit of shell/rock/seaweed conglomerate I found on the beach and am holding at arms length.

Playing with Black and White

The first and last photos were simply desaturated.
In the second, I played with the white balance within my camera software.

Black & White

Sandy K shared beautiful black & white photos over the weekend and posed the question: what is the difference between taking a b&w photo versus converting a color photo on the computer? Thought I would play around... can you tell which are taken in B&W and which are converted?
A 'real' photographer would probably choose the purist approach and take the original in B&W. However, for me the option of having a saturated, unsaturated and B&W is too tempting.

Perhaps the real advantage in shooting in B&W is the enhanced attention to 'value'.


If you love black and white, take a peek at Lick Creek Photo - Howard Hamilton was my graduate professor in Materials Engineering. He and his wife retired from academia to pursue their incredible talents in photography and are featured in various galleries in McCall Idaho. His b&w photos are wonderful.