Here Comes the Bride

Spotted at a busy intersection. The ladies seemed to be following a photographer who was walking half a block ahead. I couldn't see any particularly interesting destinations for a photo shoot, though, so maybe they were making a last minute getaway.

Posted for The Weekend in Black and White.

Black and White: Bauble

Happy Holidays, everyone!  May your season be bright - and colorful!


Published for The Weekend in Black and White.

Black and White: Diner

Fast food seems like a real treat when served under a fabulous, shiny tin ceiling. All I had with me was my new little Sony Cybershot, which I had accidentally set to some funky effect or other that produced neon-bright colors. But once I converted to black and white, I thought the shots turned out kinda neat.





Posted for The Weekend in Black and White and for Shadow Shot Sunday 2.

Macro: Prickly Pear

I was surprised to find this prickly pear cactus growing and blooming here in Indiana one summer. (My research tells me it's the only cactus that can survive here.) I was even more pleasantly surprised to see what happened to the fragile, yellow flower when it was converted to black and white last night.




Posted for I Heart Macro Week 30 and for Macro Monday 2

Black and White: Encrypted

This artwork fascinates me. It's a cylindrical tower, about ten feet high, with no plaque announcing its title or naming its artist. It sits in the cobblestone courtyard of what was once a brewery, back in the 1800s. The brewery was converted to shops and studios years ago, but is almost completely abandoned now and is in rough shape. Below is a shot of the top half of the sculpture, taken from the elevated parking lot next door.

What do you make of it?




Posted for The Weekend in Black and White

Little Chair on the Prairie

There's a garden center not too far from us that uses lots of old furniture outdoors as props for the plants. I loved this old chair, and I longed to rescue it from the elements.

(*P.S. - Here's the color version:)



Posted for The Weekend in Black and White and for Shadow Shot Sunday 2.

Black and White: Beach Wheelchair

Spotted in a public shelter at Hamlin Lake beach, Michigan.



Posted for The Weekend in Black and White and linking to Shadow Shot Sunday 2

Black and White: Prophecy

I've been at a loss lately for things to photograph. Everything seems so ... dull. Boring. Predictable.

Time was, I'd roam the house and yard, happily clicking away at everything from the water meter to houseplants, sneaking up on the cat, stalking the bird feeder, annoying everyone at various events. I can't seem to get into it anymore. I look at yet another photo that's just like a million others, sigh, and hit delete. (OK, I lied. I keep them all. My hard drive is about to explode.)

I've decided to take fewer pictures in general, and to explore dramatic lighting, effects, and macro more. Maybe that'll help.

So what do YOU do when you get like this?

P.S. - This is the point of a bubble-glass globe for an overhead light, set on its side on my faux 'gator iPad cover, with morning light blazing in through the open end. I figured somebody might ask.

Linking to:
-The Weekend in Black and White
-Shadow Shot Sunday 2

Black and White: For Tomorrow

When we're done admiring these acorns - which are huge, by the way, over an inch long - I'll plant them in pots to be tucked into our woods in a few years.  The deer make short work of acorns and seedling trees, so the oaks need a little help to stand their ground. (The spiky pods are from velvetleaf, a big, bad weed. They will definitely not be getting any assistance.)

Posted for The Weekend in Black and White

52 Photos 27: Someone You Love

I had hoped this week's gallery would provide an opportunity to try my hand at portraits, something I  haven't really done yet. Unfortunately, my particular beloved someones were unenthusiastic about posing for me. On to Plan B: Cropping an existing photo to turn it into a portrait. Above is the result, an image of my younger son, Mike.

And for good measure here's an older one I did of my little nephew, who is too young to protest.





Posted for the 52 Photos Project

Black and White: Remember Me

There must be some magic in this old tree. It's the only one travelers have chosen to bear witness to their passing in this place.

Somewhere beside a river in the south, if it still stands, is a tree bearing the scars of my own initials and those of a boy I once knew. I wonder, sometimes, what became of them both, that boy and that tree.

Posted for The Weekend in Black and White

Bigger on the Inside

An abandoned brewery, circa 1858, was just too much to resist, even though the midday light was awful. I couldn't resist playing with the Halloween toys at Picmonkey, either. (I added the mouse and moon to the interior view.)




Posted for Shadow Shot Sunday 2 and for The Weekend in Black and White.

One Brilliant Barn

These were taken at the Round Barn Winery in Boroda Michigan. The tasting building is a 1911 barn that was saved from destruction in the nick of time and reassembled on site by Amish craftsmen. It is glorious. (And the wine isn't bad, either.)

For my fellow barn lovers, here's a link to the slide show of the barn being dismantled and reconstructed: Round Barn dot com.

Linking to The Weekend in Black and White and to Shadow Shot Sunday 2

52 Photos Gallery 22: In My Hands

Per Bella, the hands in question didn't have to be ours, and whatever it is could be ON a hand too, so here ya go: My mother in law's 83-year-old hand, which is much more interesting than mine, as she admires a ladybug. This one gave me a chance to experiment with focal point color, which was fun!

Posted for 52 Photos Project

Black and White: Timbers

It was a fine day in early autumn. I was walking with family at the East Race in South Bend where bikers sped by, birds wheeled in the sky, and a guy in a kayak fought the frothing current. So where was I? Under a footbridge, photographing rust, weeds, and rotting wood.

That's not too weird ... Right?

Posted for The Weekend in Black and White

Shady Ladies

There was standing room only under the branches of a lone tree in an Ohio pasture. It was growing conveniently close to a fence, so I was able to snap a few shots of these curious cows.









Posted for Shadow Shot Sunday 2 and for The Weekend in Black and White.

Black and White: Sunflower

I think I like the spiky buds of sunflowers better than the actual blossoms.

Posted for The Weekend in Black and White

52 Photos 13: Layers / Stacks

Given the number of layers and stacks of stuff occupying my closets and corners, this week's assignment was almost too easy. However, scouting for a subject embarrassed me into cleaning up the piles instead.

Plan B: A quick dash into the Indiana heat, armed with garden shears, to raid the day lily bed. We don't usually see many of these three-layered ones, because the deer find them tasty. So. Layers, plus a chance to play with my new light box. In the air conditioning.

As for stacks, here's one taken at a factory that makes cabinet doors. These are going to be "rails" - the pieces that hold the center panel of a door:




Posted for the 52 Photos Project. And the top one may very well be linked to the next Weekend in Black and White, unless something better presents itself by then.

Black and White: Enigma

I spotted this from my upstairs home office window, and it seemed like a perfect excuse to put off doing paperwork.

It's the shadow cast by the sun shining through the chimney and side of our fire pit out on the deck. The effect lasted only a few minutes.

It looks mysterious and alien, don't you think?

Linking to The Weekend in Black and White and Shadow Shot Sunday 2

Black and White: Showers

Sugar maple flowers mimic the rain that will soon fall from these clouds.

Posted for The Weekend in Black and White.