Day 9 - Cliches? Or Not?

Initially, I'd set out to take pictures of the monuments in twilight. I really love the deep blue sky, and the short window of opportunity (twilight isn't very long) is such a challenge for me. As always, though, while I did get my twilight shots, I got much more.

What do I mean by this? Simply put, I think cliches (ie standard shots of monuments) are cute and all, but lately, I've focused on producing more original work. I took a series of pictures, and didn't really feel excited about them. In fact, I took my winter in the park shots a day later, and published and blogged about them first. I realized that I wanted a more original spin on my pictures. The monuments are gorgeous, but I didn't see or feel any emotion with the generic (cliche) shots.

In Aperture, it's easy to convert shots to black and white - it's a simple setting (I imagine it's just as easy in Lightroom). I have done this before, with some success. I decided to pick a few shots, convert them, and see for myself. These were the best ones:





I really like these three, but for different reasons. The first one reminds me of a simpler, easier way of life - one without cell phones, Blackberries, the Internet, etc. Simple pleasures.

The second looks better in black and white because of the shapes. It doesn't evoke the same emotions for me, but I like the way it looks.

The third one has a grainy quality that I love. I tried converting a different version of this picture, and it wasn't as nice. I think the concentration of trees and bushes makes a difference. I'm not sure, but I had a strong reaction to this picture, after converting it to black and white. Here's a color version:



Oh, and this is my favorite twilight shot:



I love the sky. This seemed less generic than some of my other twilight shots.

A few notes:

1) All of these pictures required extensive post-processing. Some were too dark, and I had to play with the exposure in Aperture. Others required that I just lighten the shadows, which you'll need to do if your lights are too light, and your darks too dark.

2) Not all pictures looked nice enough when converted to Black and White. You may want to make a copy of your picture, then convert to black and white. This way, you have a side-by-side comparison.

3) ISO - at least 800.

4) Tripods are always a good idea, but it's hard to be spontaneous. These pictures required that I move fast. I can't do that with a tripod.

Till tomorrow!