Field of Weeds - the Dramatic Version: "Sow them and they will grow". Except railroad track weeds just seem to thrive and Lord only knows how the seeds got there in the first place.

Bob Yankle Loc: Burlington, NC

"Sow them and they will grow". Except railroad track weeds just seem to thrive and Lord only knows how the seeds got there in the first place. So, normally, this is just a morass of tangled greenery, some with thorns, some flowers, and some weirdly textured plant life. But strip it of color and change the emphasis, and suddenly we have a dramatic canvas. I love the metamorphosis.

(Download)

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

OK, I doubt if this one could look much better in color unless those blooms are in some outstanding shade. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Bob Yankle wrote:

"Sow them and they will grow". Except railroad track weeds just seem to thrive and Lord only knows how the seeds got there in the first place. So, normally, this is just a morass of tangled greenery, some with thorns, some flowers, and some weirdly textured plant life. But strip it of color and change the emphasis, and suddenly we have a dramatic canvas. I love the metamorphosis.

Bob Yankle Loc: Burlington, NC

robertjerl wrote:

OK, I doubt if this one could look much better in color unless those blooms are in some outstanding shade. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

You're right robert, it looked sorta bland in color. But when I see a very light colored flower against a dark background I start thinking "I wonder what this would like in monochrome?" And once I get THAT itch, I gotta scratch it.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

B&W is especially good for patterns and textures when the colors are basically all variations on one another. Most of my favorite shots of the Bristle Cone Pines in the Sierra Nevada are B&W. They used to be a staple of calendars and such, now mostly color, but the main feature is still the patterns and textures of the wood, not color.

Bob Yankle wrote:

You're right robert, it looked sorta bland in color. But when I see a very light colored flower against a dark background I start thinking "I wonder what this would like in monochrome?" And once I get THAT itch, I gotta scratch it.

Leicaflex Loc: Cymru

Like this one, the subtle tonal range is superb.

Ronbo Loc: Okanagan falls BC. Canada

Bob Yankle wrote:

You're right robert, it looked sorta bland in color. But when I see a very light colored flower against a dark background I start thinking "I wonder what this would like in monochrome?" And once I get THAT itch, I gotta scratch it.

Good thing you scratched.

Treepusher Loc: Kingston, Massachusetts

Gorgeous! Love the tones and brilliance of the flowers here. Absolutely perfect use of monochrome. I wonder, tho, might you try a vertical crop, cut out some of the space to the left of the central flower? Not sure that space adds anything to the photo. Just a thought.

Maryle12 Loc: Bonita Springs, Fl. & Harbor Springs, MI.

Great!

Bob Yankle Loc: Burlington, NC

Leicaflex wrote:

Like this one, the subtle tonal range is superb.

Thanks Leicaflex. I must admit, I toned down the central plant quite a bit to fit her in with the rest background, but that's why I like PP so much - it saves some of those throwaways.

Bob Yankle Loc: Burlington, NC

Ronbo wrote:

Good thing you scratched.

Well, I must admit I stayed a healthy distance from those pointed barbs Ronbo. No use in going overboard.

Bob Yankle Loc: Burlington, NC

Treepusher wrote:

Gorgeous! Love the tones and brilliance of the flowers here. Absolutely perfect use of monochrome. I wonder, tho, might you try a vertical crop, cut out some of the space to the left of the central flower? Not sure that space adds anything to the photo. Just a thought.

Thanks for the discerning eye Randy. I purposely chose to leave in to flowers/weeds rising up to the left, although they're a bit darker than the others - to my mind, at least, they balanced out the bright leaves in the lower right hand corner and gave it a diagonal line of sight. What I probably should have removed, though, is the bare twig sticking up on the left.

Bob Yankle Loc: Burlington, NC

Maryle12 wrote:

Great!

I'm glad you liked it and thanks Maryle. As a color photo, this one was in danger of being relegated to the bit-bin.

wapiti Loc: round rock, texas

I don't do much B/W, but this looks really good. I may need to reconsider. Well done.

Bob Yankle Loc: Burlington, NC

wapiti wrote:

I don't do much B/W, but this looks really good. I may need to reconsider. Well done.

Thanks wapiti. If you ever get into it I can highly recommend NIK Silver Efex as your conversion tool.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Great job, Bob!