black and white...

Hello all my wonderful friends!

Sorry it has been a while since my last post... between the normal craziness of summer and certain health problems, I haven't been getting much done in my studio. =(

However, it is a beautiful sunny evening, and I spent some great time outside taking pictures. Oh, that makes my heart happy!

My first photography class in college was with black and white film. Yes, there were digital cameras, but using film forced you to learn the concepts. I couldn't just keep changing random settings until I got the right look. I couldn't pop a card in my computer and run it through a fancy program and end up with a master piece. I had to understand aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, and how they all worked together. I had get the shot right in the camera. And, honestly, there is something magical about standing in the dark room surrounded by an amber glow and a strong smell of chemicals while you watch an image develop. 

That being said, I haven't shot film in a long time. I have, however, held on to my love of b/w photography. (which is kinda strange considering that in all of my other crafts, color totally inspires me!!!) 

One of the things I love about b/w is that it allows you to see things differently. When you look at a flower in b/w, it looks a lot different then it does in color. It can also allow mundane things to look amazing!

For example... here is a shot of a dead rose.  

Not really a photo that most people would take.

 However, take that same shot in b/w, and suddenly, it looks artistic and beautiful. 

Just something to keep in mind next time you are taking photos...

Enjoy!

~Kassi