Black & White – A Visual Notebook…

50 petals of gray

Jean-Michel — Mon, 20 May 2019 07:35:39 +0000

It is often said that Black & White photography allows to remove color distraction to better focus on the inner subject.

But sometimes color is such an important part of the subject that removing it helps to create a complete abstraction of shapes and patterns.

While reviewing a set of flower images taken when visiting the Villa Taranto Botanical Gardens in Verbiana (close to Lac Majore, Italia), I felt one of them would be a good candidate for such exercise (I will share some others later)…

Modern maze

Jean-Michel — Sun, 13 Aug 2017 09:41:47 +0000

When the most familiar scene becomes strange through the viewfinder…

Droplets on Chrome

Jean-Michel — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 13:16:00 +0000

NYC at work

Jean-Michel — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 13:22:35 +0000

NYC is pure bliss for photographer, whatever time, whatever day. When weather is not so nice, when sky is white or dirty gray, with just enough directional light to create some shadows, it’s perfect time to see the Big Apple in Black & White…

Circles

Jean-Michel — Fri, 21 Jul 2017 07:25:49 +0000

As I’m currently travelling and trying to capture new images, here is another memory from the Boston 2015 winter. Charles River was not fully frozen yet, and a group of ducks was visibly enjoying its new playfield!

Droplets

Jean-Michel — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 12:09:00 +0000

Three little cars.

Jean-Michel — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 12:15:00 +0000

Maybe because they are unusual, pictures taken from above with a tele lens are often interesting. As I was looking down from the Empire State Building, the traffic flow started to become abstract and aesthetic.

I knew I just had to be patient…

Silver Ring

Jean-Michel — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 12:59:00 +0000

Lightroom is really a fantastic tool to experiment what would have taken hours in the darkroom, in particular for local adjustments usually done on silver prints with a paintbrush and a potassium ferricyanide solution (to lighten some areas or details).

The original idea present when capturing the image can then surface.

Patterns

Jean-Michel — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 12:57:00 +0000

Sometimes, we are attracted by a shape, a contrast, a light, and we take a photo that will stay in our archive for months…Until we take another one, and another one, and all of sudden, we realize that all these images are part of the same collection built unconsciously.

The work is then to get a consistent set, for instance with the same processing, to highlight what really connect them, similarities or differences.

Interlaced

Jean-Michel — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 12:18:00 +0000

When going close enough, even the most familiar objects can become abstract and graphical. Take advantage of a nice soft light to have a full grey scale, enhance the local micro contrast when developing (much easier now than with argentic photo prints), and enjoy nature curves and lines.