"In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality."
~Alfred Stieglitz
Last Saturday I took a cruise on San Francisco bay, and to my delight, not only did I have the natural scenes and amazing architecture to inspire my photography, but also a wealth of different lighting opportunities to work with. It's been stormy here in the Bay Area this past week, and with the rain and the wind, comes the brilliant clouds and shadows. Stunning! I was able to accomplish a good deal that day, mostly in there area of using natural filters around me. Sometimes I blocked the small amounts of sun that did show through the clouds, by using the curve of the boat, but one time I found the sun so amazing and stunning that I decided to use the water tower on Alcatraz to create an aura of sorts.
Water towers have always been a favorite of mine to photograph. There is so much that can be done with them. From angles to depth of field, to the curvature, to standing back and letting the sides of the tower filter unwanted light. But attempting to create an aura isn't easy from the boat. There is constant movement, and you can't always stand just anywhere, but Saturday was, as experiences go, was a positive one. As we circled around the back of the island, I waited until the sun was completely behind the water tower to take the photo. I knew I only had one chance, and so I worked to make the focus, and the distance just right. Well, it came out a little fuzzy, and the bounce of light wasn't quite what I was going for but fortunately, a little editing magic made all the difference.
My approach to photography, comes from my love of Impressionist art. The Monet in my screen-name, OndineMonet, is a nod to my favorite painter, Claude Monet. I try to present my photos with a slightly surreal touch to them. In order to show you what I see in my mind's eye, a small amount of editing is necessary. Sometimes it's just a matter of converting a photo from color to either black and white or maybe sepia. I have learned that it makes a tremendous difference, depending on what mood I want to set. Here... take a look at the black and white and compare.
First Sepia
Now Black And White
See what I mean?
To me the first version, the one in color, seems much more relaxing to the mind and eye, but the sepia gives me a slightly uneasy feeling, while the black and white makes me feel like I could have been circling the island, on a day, many years ago. It's dark and not very comfortable as feelings go. I can almost imagine the ghost of Al Capone starring at me from some tiny window along the wall. Spooky.
So tell me, what do you think? Do you feel different emotions based on editing. Do the three pictures set a different mood, or are you affected the same way with all three?
If you like, feel free to share. I would love to know what you think, and how you prefer to do your photography. Does anything in particular inspire you to certain subjects?
Tell me everything.
~Mood: Inquisitive
Me :)
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