Black and White
I’m thinking about setting my camera to monochrome and not shooting in colour (or allowing myself to) for one whole year. I know it sounds crazy but that’s the kind of thing I like to do. When I look out into the world, I see in black and white. I see lighting mostly- shadows and ranges of exposure- tonal ranges. I can stare off in a room full of people and be in my own little world (I’m sure it looks like I’m deep in thought) but really, I’m converting a branch, a table, a moving mouth into monochrome and watching the shadows and lighting change places in my mind.
This is what my creative eye is doing no matter where I go or who I’m with and I rarely deviate. When I went to Southern Illinois with Josh, he wanted to fish, so he fished; but I wanted nothing more than to run up into the hills with my camera. Blossoms were opening up everywhere and colour was shooting to life all around me but the most beautiful thing I saw was a stark branch, unadorned and unassuming.
I painted it black and white in my mind and it was so very beautiful. I gave it a pretty pink coat in Photoshop, but I shot it in monochrome in natural lighting- all manual, naturally.
I call it simply:
Blush
I love the dancing bokeh in the background.
Specs: 50 MM 1.8 II/manual focus/manual exposure/natural lighting
Shot in monochrome/Canon Rebel T3i/Sh. sp.: 1/800th sec
F/ 1.8/ISO 100
I was inspired by the cranberry hue after seeing my friend, Ingz, from Redbubble (THE most amazing fine art site in the world- don’t waste your time at Fine Art America/FAA) do the same in one of her pieces. She’s an amazing artist- so clean and elegant. I’m expecting some new equiptment soon- particularly another Lensbaby and this time, it’s coming with the pinhole/zone plate. I could just cry. :0) (Thanks again for all of your prayers in that department, Soul Walker. XO)
Maybe I’ll accept my own monochrome challenge.
(We’ll see.)
m o n o c h r o m e j u n k i e † 
Very nice photo.
Joy Brittain
Sent from my iPhone
May 2, 2013 at 5:37 pm
Thanks, Joy- I thought that was you. ;0)
May 2, 2013 at 5:37 pm
I’ve done that, before. My l’il Fuji has a monochrome setting and I took a buncha photos – just tinting them in Picasa. Some of them turned out pretty good. :))
Do it!
May 3, 2013 at 8:29 am
Well, I because I’m constantly adjusting my shutter speed/ISO/AP per image, there’s a broad range of tones I’m after, you know? I never end up with “flat monochromes”- the joy and adventure of it all is exploring those tones in-camera. I’ve used the Picasa tint-selector before but it doesn’t give me the painted-blending and erasing that I paint into my photos (regarding tint, you know what I’m saying)- even the tinted monochromes are still multiple-layered work. (After the “tinting”- there’s still still much work to be done. Highlights, shadows, midtones, etc.) But really, most of the work is done in-camera. My new Lensbaby Composer arrives in a couple of more days- can’t wait. My Lensbaby pinhole/zone plate is already here- I’m just waiting for the LB body- I’m drooling! :0)
May 3, 2013 at 10:32 am
When you got no mo’ money…You use Picasa. LOL 🙂
And a 6-year-old, 6mp Fuji P&S. 😀
And wipe your chin. 🙂
May 7, 2013 at 8:01 am
Hey, your Fuji had two more MP than my Canon G3 did. Ha. (Pretty good.) Picasa’s alright- but it can’t touch GIMP! (And I got my new toys, by the way. Soooo fun…)
May 7, 2013 at 10:01 am
You notice the un noticed. This is what makes you amazing. Period.
May 9, 2013 at 4:08 am
Oh, forgot to mention, the Illuminati is an elite organization comprised of highly intelligent fraternized members who govern and even control mass media such as the movie industries, music industries, and various other industries that deal with billions of dollars. Money and power are their driving forces and they have a reputation of controlling even the videos of mega-stars such as Lady Gaga, Britney Spears- it was rumoured that Marilyn Monroe was “conditioned”, brainwashed, packaged and pimped put by the Illuminati- and it’s not hard to see why. They’re also known for being Anti-Christian (but that’s the word on the street ;0) and they have special schools to condition and train “elite youth” to hold powerful positions and such: mind control plays a big role with the Illuminati. Of course, I’m giving you the broken down, deconstructed (layman’s) definition of what “Illuminati” means; the literal term means ‘enlightened” and if you look them up on Wikipedia it’s far more organized and official than my definition. (But I’ll tell you things about them that Wikipedia won’t include.) Stars who pose for pics with a triangle or pyramid around their eye (sometimes using their fingers to form the triangle or “one eye”) are said to be “bought” already- they’ve signed a deal with the devil already, etc. They have millions to show for it- and they’re little more than mindless blubs who are controlled. It’s interesting stuff if you Google it. Their MO is like this: get a young singer, such as Miley Cyrus or Britney Spears- dress them up as “the virgin”- innocent, influential, powerful- luring millions of girls to be just like them- and then after they gain a mass following (of millions)- and more importantly, once the Illuminati has the pocketbooks of those millions of followers, they “deflower” the famous person publicly, shaving their heads, wearing darker clothes and make-up- taking their millions of followers with them- straight to hell. There’s been a direct correlation between the Illuminati and satanism (etc.) as well and ritualistic public behavior is part of the package with stars being initiated. My views of the Illuminati are subjective, of course. I believe they’re an evil organization who mass-condition the public for the sake of lining their pockets with billions of dollars. (Brianna has her own reasons of using the symbol, but she’s by no means “illuminati”- God forbid. She likes provoking people, especially hillbilly rednecks who don’t ever change their views on anything. Heh..) And yeah, I don’t push my own views over on my kids- or, I try not to. I allow them to be who they are and support them 100%- like it or not, because that is their rightful choices as individuals- I don’t own them. Parents really screw up when they start thinking they “own” their children. It’s not healthy. But it so happens that I DO like who they are- just as they are- and respect (and admire) them so much. :0)
May 10, 2013 at 3:58 pm