Category Archives: monochrome

Sway

Posted by Mike on

Monochrome, Slow
West Canada Creek

I don’t know if I should call the last three weeks a break or an abandonment? I definitely wasn’t feeling the photography. The weather didn’t help, but that is a weak excuse, I really wasn’t into picking up the camera. Looking back through my files, February 20th was the last image I captured with my camera. I did a couple posts from my phone and I believe the last one was the kick-start I needed. I think I also had it in my head that after this weekend, as the clock jumps forward, I will have that extra time after I get home from work to go exploring.

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day and I took the chance there would be some good water flowing in the West Canada Creek. The water level was not Spring thaw category but there were opportunities along the creek. I was able to explore both sides of the creek below Morgan’s Mill Dam. The lighting in the creek is definitely better from the East side when there is an afternoon sun. I enjoyed a good hour of calming water flow before temperatures reached my finger tips. I’m hoping today will be another good for exploring…

 

Sway
Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 II, 0.5s, 75mm, f/16, ISO 200

Another Do-Over

Posted by Mike on

Monochrome Winter

The other day this image popped into my FB stream as a memory from 2012. I cringed when I first saw the post. It was from a very early time in my journey as a photographer. I was about a month away from purchasing my first DSLR (Nikon 5100) and was at the end of my time with the Sony DSC-H20 point & shoot camera. I had been learning about photography for about nine months and was only beginning to understand all the tools at my disposal. I had discovered an interest in monochrome images and was also experimenting with different toning processes, this obviously was my attempt at Sepia toning.

 

Into the Unknown

 

I do like the image. It definitely is something I would capture today. I know though that my processing would not be so heavy-handed. I thought it would be good to re-process this one with the knowledge and (hopefully) skill I have today.

As much as I read about “filling the frame”, sometimes an image needs breathing room. I like the lines of the tracks in the original but I feel this version is not conveying the mood very well. I didn’t modify the original crop scale (4×5) but I did bring more of the foreground into the image. This “pushed” the vanishing point farther back into the image and enhanced the mood I was originally going for as evidenced by the title, Into the Unknown.

 

Into the Unknown, Again

 

I decided to keep the sepia toning but turned it down a little. The subtle approach works best here, in my opinion. In the original the amount of toning overwhelmed the white of the snow and actually distracts from the image. I also adjusted the tonal range within the image. I allowed the variations within the trees to stand out better which increases the feeling of depth for this image.

I like the revision, you’ll have to let me know your thoughts…

Cascading Time

Posted by Mike on

Chittenango Falls State Park

There are probably numerous reasons why I gravitated to this image this morning. I could blame it on my new Ansel Adams book, or the post I saw on Instagram the other day, but really, this morning felt like a waterfall day. Remembering the sounds of the cascading water, the smell of the park, it all washed over me as I was drinking my coffee. Funny how the minds works.

This image was captured back in October. I was looking for an Autumn view of the falls but the timing of my visit was off. The cloudy sky didn’t bother, I much prefer an overcast day for waterfalls, but the colors of the leaves surrounding the gorge were not at a level I had hoped to capture. It was still a good visit, Chittenango Falls almost always provides me with photographic opportunities. It happened to not match the vision in my head as I drove out.

I still like a good monochrome waterfall image though…

 

Cascading Time
Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 1s, 20mm, f/16, ISO 100

White Blanket

Posted by Mike on

Monochrome
Haiku

It was snowing a little on Sunday, not enough for much accumulation but it did place an image in my head. I didn’t have anything recently but I searched through my library and found the appropriate image from 2017 where I trekked up to the Egypt Road Trails near Boonville. I wanted an image to go with another attempt at being creative…
 

White Blanket

Frozen water falls
The animals take shelter
A blanket for all

 

White Blanket
Olympus E-M1 Mark I, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 1/1000s, 28mm, f/5.6, ISO 200

Idyllic

Posted by Mike on

Monochrome
Haiku

Yesterday was a very long day. I drove down to Philadelphia to deliver a dresser for my daughter. I also had to bring back a load of stuff to store for her. It was almost ten hours of driving. I left around 5am and returned by 6:30pm. I’m a little tired today.

I listened to the Classic Vinyl station on SiriusXM most of the way. I’ll admit there was some singing, well, I’m not exactly sure what you would call what I do, but it helps on the long drives. Apparently, my mind wanders, sometimes to places I’m not sure how it got to. After I got home I let out a little creative(?) steam… this is the result.

Idyllic

Along the river
Stepping on protruding rocks
Feet wet, body shivers

And this is the type of image that was in my head at the time, from a trip last August to the Mulholland Wildflower Preserve in Ithaca.

 

Idyllic
Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 2.5s, 15mm, f/11, ISO 100

 

I’m pretty positive there is more rambling around in my head, I’ll have to explore and see where it takes me…