Art in Black and White

Our theme is ART in Black and White. Now I didn't ask Stewart if that meant to take a picture of some art in black and white, or to create art with only black and white.

I know I have done several quilts in only black and white--well, except that I included a block of red and a strip of yellow--they really make the quilt spark.

I went looking through my photo archives looking for some great graphic images to render into black and white, and found these among others.

 Shadows and reflections are cool in black and white.

 Are these the same? No. The one above is in its natural color. The color has been removed below.

Color is not all there is in a sunset. There is light and silhouette.

 

The other Headbangers will be artistic in Black and White today. Their links are in my sidebar.

Olympia Waterfront

Some natural monochromes for Monochrome Maniacs head out these waterfront photos from our weekend in Olympia. More color in the photos that follow them.

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

You'll find other Monochrome Maniacs courtesy of Aileni here.

Color removed.

Aileni indulges his Monochrome Mania at this dedicated site, and lets the rest of us play along.


I actually removed color from only three of these, and if I hadn't told you that you would probably not have noticed the tiny bit of color in the one I left. Do you even seen it?

The primary color removed? the blue of the sky. And here I have been, moaning over our gray skies lately!
Removing the color gives an opportunity to look at other aspects of photography--such as composition. The same view above and below--which do you prefer?

In quilting we sometimes find a way to absent ourselves from the colors to see the values and how they contrast. It works in black and white photography as well.

These photos will relate to the Odd Shot post which follows later.

So, did you see the color?

A Monchrome for Monday

I'd been stopping by to see some of those participating this week in Aileni's Monochrome Mania. All of a sudden I remembered this shot, which I had scrolled past last night while looking for other things. I wondered what it would have looked like if taken with black and white film. Aha! You can do that with digital--at least you can if you have the right software (I can't while traveling because the software on my laptop is limited.)

It will enlarge if clicked. Visit Aileni to see who has great monochromes this week.

My Odd Shots are below. I will post the answer to the Odd Shot puzzle later this evening. Stop to see in the morning if you are in Australian or European time zones.

Sometimes the world presents itself in monochrome

...without interference from the camera.

Taken as we approached Zion National Park last November. We will be in the area again later this week.

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Aileni sponsors the Monochrome Maniacs. Visit him and the MM Linky site to see more.

Monday in Monochrome

I scanned two photos from my Dad's album for Monochrome Monday. Originals--naturally--in the late 1920s monochrome was all there was. Since Dad is in these, they were obviously taken by his friend Ron. (Almost identical shots on the same page in the same setting are identified as Ron.)

These were taken in 1928 as Dad and Ron explored the construction of St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Pasadena, California. This was later my grandmother's (mother's mother) local parish. Dad had not yet met Mother.

The second of these is the one I like best. The shadowed lines of the bricks and the very graphic look frame his gaze out into the world just right.

Dad was a so-so photographer all his life. He did not take spectacular shots, but very serviceable ones. He didn't cut off people's heads by accident. Most are pretty nicely composed. Some are overexposed and others are underexposed. He saved the ones that were fuzzy. Nearly all are clearly labeled. I have a trunkful of slides he took in later years. I think that in my retirement, I need to go through them.

My offering is from Dad's album today since my desktop is in the shop. It looks like it may well be the motherboard, so decisions are in the offing. We'll know more tomorrow. My laptop has different software, and converting a photo to black and white with it is problematical. I may well set the camera for black and white at some time this week.

Aileni set up Monochrome Monday with a Mr. Linky site. You can see other contributions to the art by checking there.

Monochrome Monday--remembering summer

Visit other Monochrome offerings by checking out the Mr. Linky page that Aileni has established.

Monochrome Monday's Bridges

Aileni heads up Monochrome Monday on a weekly basis. Broer som binder---"Bridges between..." --- is inspired monthly by Rune E. I hope they both forgive me for combining the logo images and the meme in this way.
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This is my Dad in 1928. He took a lot of picture in 1928--or maybe that simply is the album among many that were preserved and found their way into my hands. Of course, he did not take this picture. My guess would be that someone named Ron took it, because, among other shots of my Dad in strange places and in this time frame are some of "Ron" in similar positions.

This album includes pictures of my Dad on towers under construction, on hikes in high places (wonder where I got that inclination), in church towers, and here--on a bridge where I certainly would not have joined him.

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The photo is identified as Loma Vista Bridge, Brookside Park, Pasadena.

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The bridge below is the Fred G. Redmon Memorial Bridge, located over Selah Creek north of Yakima. I put these two bridges together because the design seems to be so similar and the bridge and the photo spark related emotions.

A plaque erected at a nearby rest stop by the Washington State Highway Commission in 1971 tells that "by Senate Resolution 1969-EX-40, the Washington State Legislature dedicated these imposing structures crossing Selah Creek Canyon in honor of Fred G. Redmon, resident of Yakima, first chairman of the Washington State Highway Commission and distinguished member of the Washington State Senate from 1964 through 1968. With a height of 325 feet from top of arch to canyon floor, supporting b ridge lanes 1336 feet long and reaching 549 feet across the canyon, these are the two longest concrete arch spans in the United States to date, a fitting memorial to one of Washington State's most prominent citizens."

To me this bridge is often a symbol of coming home. It marks our entry into the Yakima Valley from a trip to the Coast--and the Coast can sometimes be our entry from farther away.

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Coming home!

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And Dad. Well, Dad was always a stalwart, solid part of home. Next month would have been his 100th birthday. I know that few get to know their parents clear to 100--Dad passed away fourteen years ago. But I miss him.

Monochrome Monday

No, I haven't given up on Odd Shots. You will find my Odd Shot post below this one. Please make Odd Shot comments there.

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Aileni has been hosting Monochrome Mondays for a few weeks now and I decided that this is the perfect photo to render in sepia tones for my first entry. We met this old fashioned photographer with his antique camera during a hike in July. He said he thought he ought to use a camera as old as he is. I thought I saw him again today (Sunday) but the gentleman I saw, though wearing a similar hat, was shooting with a digital. When I told him I had thought he was the man with the old-fashoned camera, he knew who I was talking about, having encountered him from time to time on various trails.