Uninspiring Fall and the Monastery

Some time ago (okay, a long time ago - work has really taken its toll on my time and energy), I mentioned that I had high hopes for fall and fun experiments. Well, I don't know if it was my schedule, or the fact that fall was absolutely blah in this area, but I really didn't take anything at all.

So what is up with me? I haven't taken any pictures since my monastery adventures, and I barely blogged about that.

Is it the weather, or is it me? I think it's both. Fall really was inconsistent. Aside from I-95, I didn't see much in the area that was pretty or different at all. But it's also me - I feel as though the job I took at the beginning of the year drained me of anything creative, and made me feel as though creativity were something frivolous. But, I look at the last set of pictures I took ...







... and realize that I just need to let it happen. I love taking pictures, but I haven't let myself "space out" and really get inspired. I've been so busy trying to work, work out, and do who knows what else that I've lost sight of what inspires me. I need to continue to try new things, even if they don't work, and figure out how to deal with my environment.

That said, I did enjoy taking these pictures. It was a rainy and cold day, so I spent most of the time shielding my macro lens and camera from the elements. That said, cloudy days work here - the colors popped, I didn't need to do much with settings (f-stop in the 4.0 range, ISO of 400), and was able to work on my framing and my details. The last shot is the exception here - I played a bit with my wide-angle lens.

So what's next for me? I don't really know. Thanksgiving is coming up, and while I'd like to think that I'll go out and take lots of pictures, I'm not sure that I will. I think I will relax and see what happens.

Seascapes and Black and White

As you know, I'm always examining my work and trying to see if I can make it better or more appealing. I'd come across an article in Popular Photography about shooting in black and white, and it made me wonder - would any of my California shots look better in black and white? And how do I know?

Well, let's take a look. Here are some shots that I converted last week. Compare them with their color originals:





I converted these in Aperture. It's a very simple process. Almost any photo editing tool will work for that purpose.

Here are others that I grabbed from Aperture that I did not feel looked good enough in color to post, but looked fairly interesting in black and white:





So, that said, when does black and white work for me?

1) When color is actually distracting to me - as much as I love color, it doesn't always work for me. The pool shot is an example. The colors don't add anything to the shot for me. The black and white example is much cleaner and simpler.

2) When I want to portray another era - I hope this is self-explanatory. To me, in this case, these types of pictures make me feel nostalgic for another time.

3) When I don't want to highlight one element over another - As an example, look at the shot with the trees, the sky, and the grass. It's well balanced, but my eyes tend to jump to the green grass. Yours may focus on the sky. Because I feel the picture is "one picture", and not greens and blues, I prefer black and white. This way forces me to view the subject of the picture as the entire picture.

4) Shots with good contrast or with lights - I like how my lights "pop", but not to the point that they distract from the pictures. Shots with contrast ensure that they do not look "dull" or "boring" (highly subjective terms) once converted.

What should you do? Until you know what works for you, I'd suggest trial and error. Take a cross-sample of your pictures, convert them (make sure you back up the originals, of course), and see what looks good to you. Eventually, you'll detect a pattern and therefore understand what your eye likes. Because this is subjective, it's best to go by your own instincts - not mine, and not those of a magazine.

Next time - my monastery adventure.

Fall - Past and Present

While I love summer weather, I have an appreciation for fall and what it offers - change, color, and a time to assess.

That said, last year, I took pictures like these:







While I really like them - especially the one with the orange leaves against the blue sky - I need to try something different this year. I need pictures that are more original and artistic.

Popular Photography's latest issue saves the day, as always. A few interesting ideas that I must try:

1) Abstracts - taking advantage of the wind or of camera movement to incorporate some strategic blurring. I'm very excited about this, because I love the element of the unexpected.

2) Reflections with a twist - longer exposures (but not too long, so I won't need a tripod) - to add an "eerie" effect to my work.

I don't like the colder weather, I admit, but being able to have new material is really appealing. To make sure I take full advantage, I'll have to do a dress rehearsal in the next week or so.

Next time - a twist on some of my California shots.