Week 17 - Light and Texture

Light and Texture

One of the challenges of black and white photography is the separation of elements in the photo. In that regard, this photo is flawed.

In color, the warm brown of the tree bark isolates from the green grass. Not the case in black and white. As a result, it can become challenging to have a clearly defined subject.

However, the subjects and moods we are drawn to exert influence to tolerate such flaws. For example, I always notice tall grass, especially in soft light.

Recognizing that the tree and the grass merge in the absence of color, there is still a redeeming quality, a trade-off, that lends itself to black and white - texture and light.

The tree's rough bark is a sharp contrast to the soft wispy grass. The sunlit grass and tree rise from the shadowed foreground.

As is often the case, there is more latitude in processing a black and white image. Here I deepened the blacks to add contrast and reflect the mood of the falling light.

f5.6 1/250 sec ISO 200 April 30, 2022