“Distance lends enchantment to the view.”
― Mark Twain ―
I had the urge this weekend to explore the boundaries of Black and White Photography and was delighted to find that there really aren’t any! No matter how you take a shot and how much you mess it up you can still create something moody and dark by turning it to black and white and keeping your fingers crossed. After the past few days of manic photographing I wasn’t really up to going out and taking another few hundred to spend the time sifting through. I love Photography – sometimes I absolutely live and breathe it – but I do find that taking a lot of shots across a short period of time means that some often get overlooked.
So today I went upstairs – which is our spare room (we live in a converted bungalow) and took shots from the window. I was inspired by the fieldfares and redwings that had been gracing our garden since the minus temperatures had hit. Both birds come in from the fields when it gets too cold and frozen to feed on anything. Earlier this morning they were all perched in the trees over in the woods and made for some intriguing silhouettes.
I went up the stairs primarily to try and capture some shots of them but was also inspired by the different perspective that the view offered. We don’t have normal windows up there, instead it’s a velux which requires standing on a chair and hoping for the best in order to see out. By adding a camera into the mix there is the added worry that neighbours will see the telescopic lens poking out towards their houses and call the police!
Yes I know – more snowy shots! But really the main focus today was to explore the shots afterwards and see how they would turn out with minimal saturation or even in Black and White completely. I was quite pleased with the results as the snow actually helped to highlight and enhance what was already there.
The neighbours garden is actually surprisingly well cared for and pruned when you’re down on a level with it. From the top however it looks cluttered and rather out of shape! Once all was done however, I was pleased with the results – the different vantage point and the moody but crisp black and white captures.
Nice … you live here? You are fortunate. (I like the photos as well.)
I do :) Thank you!
Nice essay in black and white. The result is beautiful by its sharpness. The birds add a special touch to the scenes.
Thank you – it was nice to work away from colour for a bit!
The black and white effect is very striking! I truly enjoy your blog.
Thank you so much for reading!
Hey I’m with the others, lovely in black and white…I love the snow it makes my garden look as cared for as the neighbours’!! Yep the birds add another dimension….very very nice!
Hey, bring on the snowy pictures. I won’t get tired of them, haha.
Love the blog, hugely. I love it love it. Not sure about the black and white on these though. I’ve seen you do black and white and they are amazing…. these have a darkness to them. I think usually when you see snowy pictures they are lifting as they are so bright. I need to learn from you and think outside the stereotypical box something that you are talented enough to be able to do.