Yellow in Black and White (Three Photographs)
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From my perspective, these photographs depend highly on their backgrounds and the careful toning down of highlights to get the best detail possible in the flower itself. They are the kind of black and white images that I have grown to enjoy making as they require some thought and time to get right in post processing.
Back-lit Bird
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Back-lit subjects can be a problem. Normally I try to avoid the halo of light around the subject but sometimes it enhances the photo. Opening up the shadows, applying contrast is a technique I use often. In this case I was working to make sure the texture of the water stood out.
Grasping (Two Photographs)
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There is significant talk in photography about pre-visualization. Obviously it is key when you’re working in a studio, slightly more difficult to explain in nature. It’s a mixture of that “gotcha moment” when you have that one shot you want and seeing in your mind how the photograph will look after processing. The latter has always been my objective. I took this photograph some time ago, and yet seeing it again a few months later I could recall just what I was after (see the title).
Great Blue Heron (Two Photographs)
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My lens followed this bird as it walked up onto this tree trunk. Every shot I took (over 30) had some issue, usually a branch that obscured a part of the bird. Even this shot required an application of de-hazing to get just that little bit better. At this stage the bird was shaking the fish quite violently and fortunately my shutter speed was high enough to stop motion. It’s challenges like these that make nature photography fun, something your audience probably won’t see in the final product. I tried this shot in black and white (see below) not quite the same impact.
Late Buds (Two Photographs)
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When the cold days of early spring give way to warmer weather, we again begin to see new buds appear. My effort here was to keep the impression of the cool weather. I did this by ensuring that the colours remained cool (blueish) and not get saturated by the processing software. In the black and white I tried to retain this feeling by how I managed the shadows.
Early November (Two Photographs)
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From that time in early November when the light is harsh, the breezes stiffer, and the flowers barely hanging on. I find the colours more subtle and the highlights often more prominent in the out-of-camera photographs, the latter needs to be played down a bit.
Eastern Grey Squirrel (Two Photographs)
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As they sense the winter coming on, and after spending the year learning that humans will feed them, the eastern greys are easier to spot and photograph. They wait hoping you will feed them. I found the wary look engaging. The fall colour distracted the eye from the subject so I chose black and white.
