Fall, Nature & Editing

Like a lot of people I love fall foliage.  I love seeing the trees turn various shades of red, orange, yellow and brown.  Of course I had to take my camera out and capture a few images.  I pulled the images off my card and went into processing mode.  I like nature in color but I'm becoming more and more fascinated with nature in black and white.  Therein lies my problem.  I am still perfecting the art of black and white nature without making it look flat and dull.  In addition to playing around with the black and white, I have to reign in my latest processing addiction, copper toning!  There's something about that particular rich toning that I like ... it just feels so warm.

The above photo was taken late Summer/early Fall and as you can see, the trees were still rather green.  I was exploring the park with my camera, looked up and saw that guy meditating.  He was obviously very good at meditating as there were some children playing rather loudly on the rock right behind him.  

When I first took the photo, I saw it in black and white.  I couldn't see it any other way.  Then, I turned it black and white.  I added contrast, I took away contrast, I tinkered with shadows, highlights and toning.  In the end a photo I thought would turn out lovely, just doesn't do anything for me in color or black and white.  Perhaps I'll re-visit it with fresh eyes down the line.

The above two photos and their edits caused me a dilemma.  I love the color but I also love the copper toning and contrast of the black and white versions.  I still can't decide which one I like best.  

The above is another photo I thought would be great in black and white.  But, I just can't get it right!  I think part of my lack of satisfaction is that it's not composed the way I want it.  I know you're thinking, "well, silly woman, why didn't you compose it the way you wanted?"  Good question!  There were obstructions so I tried to get as close to the angle I wanted as possible.  This photo will drive me crazy and I'll be forced to tinker with it until I find an edit that makes me happy.

Central Park: The Beauty Of Trees

Earlier this year, I was in Central Park with my camera.  Spring buds were blooming, the weather was perfect ... not too cold, not to hot.  I had spent a good portion of my time photographing flowers.  But, there were a few trees that caught my eyes.  From a vantage point across the park, I saw a line of beautiful flowering trees.  I made my way to were they were and went about trying to capture them.  As I made my way around a curve to capture them from another angle, I noticed people in one of the trees.  I found it fascinating that the branches left a gap where the person were standing.  The tree quite simply looked like a living picture frame and thus reason this image is one of my favorites.

I find something very beautiful about bare trees.  Their limbs tend to take on the the look of long beautiful arms preparing to do a Woodstock era hippie dance.  I'm also fascinated by tree grids.  Without their blooms and leaves the lines can be seen unhindered ... the trees all lined up and perfectly spaced.  Of course, the lines are beautiful with leaves as well.  I just don't see the same dancing imagery.  I know, it's a weird thing to be fascinated by but, to see these grids at work in large areas is magnificent to me. 

Retro Lake

The Lake in Central Park

I've been to Central Park several times with my camera.  There's a lot to capture there. As with any place that catches your eye, you can go back time and time again, different times of day, different seasons and see it in a whole new way.  

In the above photo, I was walking around the lake after having strolled through The Rambles. Out of the corner of my eye, the sun hitting the water got my attention.  The first thing I knew I wanted to capture was, the sparkly light on the water.  The minute I held the camera up to my eye, I was hit with the notion of trying to use the sun to make the shot look retro.  I stood there looking through my camera trying to capture the feeling of light leak, blown exposures, flaring ... all of the things that make toy camera photography fun.  Of course, I wasn't using film or a toy camera; I was using digital. Normally, to get a look similar to this, I'd have to head to my editing software or just get lucky in my capture.  Not this time.  I didn't do anything fancy other than adding contrast and I didn't use any fancy gear.  The light and dark bits in the upper right that I think captures the whole retro vibe is the sun interacting with my filter and lens hood.  At any rate, the image makes me happy.

Springtime Love

Springtime is here!  The weather is warm.  Flowers and trees are blooming. Couples are saying, "I do!"  What better time than to visit Central Park and take some photos.  That's just what I did a couple of weeks ago.

I'm not big on taking photos of people.  Well, I should say, I'm not big on taking photos of people who aren't on a stage performing.  It's just not my thing and I frankly think my portrait photography skills need some work.  

Living in New York and roaming around with your camera in the parks and on streets, you of course end up with people photos.  This particular day, I happened upon three sets of newly married couples.  Surprisingly, I took some people photos that I don't hate!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Of all the couples I saw that day, this couple was by far my favorite.  The photos below depict the couple going and coming on the lawn near the entrance gates of the Conservatory Garden. With people photos it's rare for me to want something specific.  With non-performing people, I tend to take my time deciding what I want.  This time I knew exactly what I wanted the minute I saw them preparing. The first two photos I saw in my head as black and white images even though I was shooting in color.  Also, I knew that I wanted the couple off center with a big dollop of space on the right.

 

Uh-oh!  The groom spotted me taking a photo of him and his beautiful bride as she adjusted her tiara.  Her gown was beautiful.  I love the casual happy expression on the grooms face.

In the first photo, the lovely bride talking on her mobile phone while her groom (who saw me taking the photo) held the dog whose collar was adorned with flowers.  In the second photo, the couple walking down one of the many paths of the Conservatory Garden in Central Park.

This anti-focus shot I grabbed spur of the moment as yet another happy couple walked past me. This time, near Bethesda Fountain.  I wasn't sure how this one was going to turn out.  I desaturated the color and darkened the edges and found that I like the dreamy, romantic vibe of this photo.