Guest Post – Stacy Fischer

Black And White Photography, Photography

This is the third post in our Guest Post series featuring Stacy Fischer. Although Stacy is quick to point out “I am a photography newbie” her images certainly don’t reflect that. I guess thats what is so great about photography. Whether you are a professional, amateur or newbie, a great image cannot tell the difference.

working-horse

My name is Stacy Fischer and I was born in Huntington, New York (shout out to Joe!). My family moved from Long Island when I was about three years old, and I have spent the last 19 years living in McLean, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C.

Joe’s invitation to guest post on Monochromia took me totally by surprise. In fact, I asked him if he didn’t want to rethink his offer!

You see, I am a photography newbie. That’s not to say I haven’t had my Nikon D90 for years – about five years at this point — but until recently I used it on family vacations or at family events, shot only in automatic (I just couldn’t wrap my head around F-stops!), and knew nothing about composition.

That all changed in February with my foray into photoblogging. Visual Venturing, “Because everyone likes pictures,” grew out of my passion for visual design, but I never imagined what I would find: a wonderful, welcoming, supportive, incredibly talented community, a community I absolutely credit with my growth as a photographer. From studying your amazing photos, following your links, asking all kinds of questions, and receiving invaluable feedback, you have inspired me to learn everything I can about this wonderful art form.

My appreciation for black and white photography comes from participating in Leanne Cole’s and Laura Macky’s Monochrome Madness Challenge (http://leannecolephotography.com/category/mmc/). Learning to see the contrasts, shadows, and light that translate effectively into black and white photos has provided me with countless “aha” moments that have better informed my photography in general. And much to my surprise, I have come to truly enjoy the purity of black and white images. Also to my surprise, the two most liked photos on my blog are in black and white, though I chuckle that the most liked one is of nothing more than a wire attached to a tree stake, shot while I was experimenting with creating a shallow depth of field (see, I AM learning photographic principles!).

Monochromia is a wonderful forum in which to explore and to share this wonderful genre of black and white photography. Kudos, Joe, for creating this blog and many thanks for standing by your invitation. I am honored to share my story.

34 thoughts on “Guest Post – Stacy Fischer”

  3. I know Huntington very well. I grew up in Levittown and moved East until I ended up in Setauket, a small town near Port Jefferson. I’ll check out your blog. Great horse shot-one of my favorite subjects since I moved to Lancaster, P.A.

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  5. Hello Stacy, and welcome to Monochromia! I completely agree about the community that is WordPress. What an incredible experience blogging has become … and while I echo your comments about the photographers and personal growth in photography, it is also the writers, crafters, humorists, and life commenters that have become friends as well.
    Love this photo! There is just something about a horse … I love the little glimpse of the eye and the hairs on the chin 🙂

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    1. Laurie, how right you are – WordPress friendships know no bounds! Thanks so much for your warm welcome. And thanks, too, for noticing the hairs on the chin – you absolutely zeroed in on one of my favorite parts of the photo 🙂

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    1. Elina, from the beginning, you have supported my photographic efforts. I can’t thank you enough for that. And the community that I talk about that has helped me grow as a photographer? You’re very much a part of that!

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  11. Stacy, I’m pretty upset with you right about now. Were you sworn to secrecy? You couldn’t tell me you were going to guest host today? Well, all I can say is “Talent will out”. I am very happy for you and this image is perfect for Monochromia. I’m still mad at you, though!

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    1. I was surprised as you, Emilio, but apologies for not divulging – actually, I just assumed you knew. By the way, many thanks to you for introducing me to Monochromia. I finally had a chance to visit and was so impressed by everything I saw that I followed. The rest, as they say, is history 😉 So, am I out of the doghouse?

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    1. Thanks, Noelle! The horses were pulling a carriage for tourist rides through Estes Park in Colorado. They were indeed gorgeous animals and seemed very well cared for (thankfully). I’m glad I could do them justice.

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  14. Great image Stacy 🙂 It’s good to hear that you have had “aha” moments, I’ve had quite a few of them myself. Combining contrasts, shadows and light to produce an effective black and white image (in your own words) is the key to producing great images sans color. Its really great to see “you get it” ! I hope to see many more images from you 🙂

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  15. Congratulation Stacy, being selected to participate in a forum hosted by such a photography talented staff, definitely, is a great honor. But it shouldn’t be a big surprise; I see it as a reward for your insatiable appetite for learning more and more about photography. Now, I’m also doing my happy dance for you!

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  17. Reblogged this on Visual Venturing and commented:
    I am so honored to be a guest poster on Monochromia, a wonderful collaborative blog that highlights works of black and white photography. Many thanks to Joe Giordano of The Visual Chronicle for creating and hosting this forum. Please stop by, meet the main contributors, and view their wonderful images. And if you feel so compelled, show some love for this forum by leaving likes and comments there!

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