02 November 2010

November in Black and White


 I am still learning all about photos and camera settings and the like, so I decided to try another suggestion of theme - black and white.  Justine Gordon has a lovely photography blog and she talked about the great fall lighting and how it can be used in B&W.  So for November I am going to play along and try to get some photos that do it justice.

First, I thought I would go through some of my current shots to see what works in B&W and what doesn't.  The two today are from my garden this summer.  The first one is a red/yellow flower.  The second, a white daisy.

What works for me in photo 1:  I really like the light/dark contrast on the petals and I can see the details on the leaves better in B&W. 

What does not work for me in photo 1:  It is a little too busy, too much going on for me.


What works for me photo 2:  I used a fish eye filter and I love the focus on the flower itself, the detail in the middle and petals, and the edging effect of the fish eye. I'm pretty sure I need to find more reasons for this filter look!

What does not work for me photo 2:  It's a little boring, too centered, and I'm not sure the B&W makes it any more special than the color version.

I have a few more photos I will review and then I hope later in the week to get out and take some shots with the intention of B&W.  Wish me luck.

Oh, and I'm always open to suggestions!

M.E.

3 comments:

Jan n Jer said...

I like the effect. Need to venture into some B&W photos myself.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

I admire the way you are learning every day with your camera -- and you make me feel lazy! I keep telling myself I'll work harder and practice more, but I never quite seem to get at it.

I liked the first one the best. And I'll come back to share what you learn.

Suzanne said...

I like the fish eye filter, the flower looks good but I really like the flowers in the back ground.