Spring - Black and White

Yeah today I couldn't decide whether to post in color or black and white so I am posting both! This is the black and white version of this Spring.

If you are interested in buying my print please visit this link: Spring - Black and White or you can visit my Etsy shop for a wider selection of photographs by going to this link: My Etsy Shop

The Flow

I took this photography recently and it was one of those rarest moments when I do actually like the photograph right on the preview screen of the camera.

The white leaf of the Peace Lily and the black leaf look like two pieces of fabric that are being waved around the center of the flower, hence the title of the photograph. This one I had in mind to keep in color but I thought that in black and white the effect I mentioned is more visible.

I also like the way the light is falling onto the subject. I used nothing but available light.

It's like I am finally finding my niche in photographing plants and flowers and I am happy with it especially when it comes to photographing a Peace Lily.

This photograph was taken using a Canon 40D with a 60mm f/2.8mm Macro Lens. It was converted to black and white and edited in Photoshop CS4.

You can buy this print from my Etsy shop by going here: The Flow or you visit my shop for a wider variety of prints by going here: LRAPhotos on Etsy

The End

This fine art black and white photograph was taken a couple years ago but I didn't see it's potential until yesterday when I was browsing through my photograph archives.

At first some would call it abstract and while I do agree, I can fully see what's in it and that's maybe because I took the photograph myself and know what I was looking at. Having said that, I was always a fan of abstract photography but I never felt good enough at photographing it. Some of you would say it's easy but I beg to differ. Yeah it's easy to take a photograph of a random close up and let people guess what it is, but that's not what abstract is all about.

Anyway this fine art photograph was shot using the black and white camera settings. I rarely use the setting but I decided to give it a try. I was not entirely happy as I like my black and white to be dramatic and very contrasty. So I had to edit the photograph in Photoshop to add more drama to it.

The photograph was shot using a Canon 40D with a 60mm f/2.8 Macro Lens.

This print is for sale on Etsy here: The End 
Or you can visit my shop for a bigger selection here: LRAPhotos on Etsy

Spikes

I don't often post abstract black and white photographs on this black but here is one. What you see here is actually a flower, a macro photograph of a wild flower. As usual I don't know what the name of the flower is.

The photograph was originally shot in color but since the colors were a little bland I decided to convert it to black and white. Nothing new there as by now you all know that I prefer black and white over color.

For those who have been keeping up with this blog you know I opened a shop. For those that are new you can view/purchase this print here: Spikes or you can view my shop here: LRAPhotos on Etsy

This photograph was shot using Canon 40D with a 60mm f/2.8 Macro Lens. It was converted to black and white using Photoshop CS4.

Reminiscent

It being Sunday and me being sick I turned to photography! At first I didn't know what I was going to photograph but then I went to the terrace and saw this cute little pot with blooming flowers in it. It was the perfect candidate even though it was a little windy and as we all know when it comes to macro photography, the slightest puff can ruin your photo.

For this particular flower photo I had decided to upload it in color but when I viewed it on the computer I didn't like what I was seeing much, so there goes the black and white conversion.

I don't know what this type of flower is called, all I know is that it was small, cute and pretty!

This photograph was shot using a Canon 40D with a 60mm f/2.8 Macro Lens. Photograph was edited using Photoshop CS4.

Majestic

What better landmark can describe New York City if not the famous Empire State Building? I wonder if there any tourists who visited New York City and missed seeing this wonderful piece of architecture.

This black and white photograph of the Empire State Building has been sitting on my hard drive for some time now so I decided to bring it out and include it in my blog.

I still remember the very first time I saw the building, and being up there. I wish I could erase the experience from my mind and do it all over again. I have never felt so absolute and minor compared to this humongous building. It is a building so simple, yet so grand that there is no sore eye that can't look it and say 'Wow that's beautiful!'

New York City is one of those cities that you can't help fall in love over and over again with every corner you turn. There is always something to see. It's the city where dreams come true (and I am sure also the city where a lot of dreams are shattered, but lets not think about that.)

This black and white photograph was shot using a Canon 40D. It was edited and converted using Photoshop CS4.

San Remo From Central Park

From the very first time I've seen this building I was fascinated by it and I didn't even know who lives in it yet!

Almost everywhere you walk in Central Park you could see it. You could see it there standing like a giant amongst the trees. Whether it's a cloudless clear day or a stormy sky, the San Remo building looks in character. It screams New York City, the posh life in New York City.

I took this black and white photograph last Summer on my last day visiting the fantastic city. For some reason, the photos I take on the last week or day are the photos that I hold close to my heart. I know this one is not one of my best black and white photographs but still I felt like showing it, as the San Remo building is one of my favorite in all of New York City (have a I said that already?)

This photo was taken using a compact Samsung camera. Edited and converted to black and white using Photoshop CS4.

Eighth Avenue

Today I was once again browsing through my old photos (by old I mean maybe two years old) and I came across this one. At first it looked like a tourist's photograph but then I looked again and saw the potential of a great black and white conversion.

For those who don't know Eighth Avenue is in Manhattan, NYC. This part of Eighth Avenue is very close to Macy's, which is my second favorite area in Manhattan (first is Times Square).

This line is only intended to people who know what I am talking about. Notice the 421? I guess someone was a minute late. :)

Anyway this photograph was shot using a Canon 40D. As far as the lens goes, I can't really remember which one I was using because it's been too long. As for editing and black and white conversion I used Photoshop CS4.

Emerging From the Clouds

34th Street, New York City

"The skyscraper establishes the block, the block creates the street, the street offers itself to man." Alan Bird

This upside-down photo (explanation below) was captured at 34th Street Manhattan, New York and is part of the Hipstamatic photography series of New York, Manhattan. I don't know the name of the building or what purpose it serves, but as soon as I saw it I got this idea in my head that I am portraying here.


As mostly everyone knows New York is the city of giants. Everywhere you look you see tall buildings that for a child might seem to be touching the the sky. And I guess that is why someone, a long time ago came up with the term 'skyscraper'. They are grand to look at, an architectural feat and they are perfect for photography. Skyscrapers are photography subjects that don't move, they are not fickle and they don't complain and that's why all the photographers I know find it enjoyable photographing these giant structures.

Yes, the picture is upside down. I flipped it that way on purpose. But what is the purpose? When I was walking by and looked up at this New York Skyscraper, in an instant, it brought out the kid in me and even if it was just a brief moment, I actually believed that it was touching the sky.  


If you look at the right hand side of tower panel and go to the bottom, you will notice that it's like the skyscraper is actually emerging from the sky and being build towards the earth.Most skyscrapers have a huge base for a solid foundation but this one has a small base and the higher it goes, the bigger it gets (in the photography, not in real life) It also resembles our life which is almost composed of building blocks. In whatever we do, we start small and work hard to achieve that bigger goal.

The settings on the Hipstamatic camera for this photography series were Lucifer VI Lens/BlacKeys Monochrome Film. Some minor adjustments were done in Photoshop CS4 including the Black and White conversion.

Chaotic Order

Lincoln Center, New York City

"Chaos and order are not enemies, only opposite." Richard Garriott

This photo was captured at Lincoln Center on the Upper West Side in Manhattan, New York and is part of the Hipstamatic photography series of New York, Manhattan.


It was late in the morning when we were walking around here. It was a beautiful cold, rainy winter day. Those are two attributes that make New York look more beautiful and perfect for Black and White photography. Usually this recreation area is bustling with people but on this particular day it was totally deserted. There was something really peaceful about it.


I couldn't help but notice the symmetry of the trees and the chaos of the chairs. It's like nature is showing us how perfect it is and how chaotic we human beings are. It's almost like an epidemic hit New York and everyone's gone in a hurry trying to run for their lives.


Originally this photo was shot in color but I converted it to Black and White to make it look more dramatic. Converting to Black and White also brought out an emphasis on the line of light you see where the trees on both sides meet which is in the center of the photo.

The settings on the Hipstamatic camera for this photography series were Lucifer VI Lens/BlacKeys Monochrome Film. Some minor adjustments were done in Photoshop CS4.