Author: stevenjwillard

Sticks and Stones

Black And White Photography, Photography, Steven

Sticks and Stones, © Steven Willard

Winter. Just maybe the best season for black and white photography. Many days the color has already been reduced to shades of grey. Cool, huh?

Olympus OMD EM1 with 12-40mm f2.8 zoom, processed in Nova® and Snapseed® on my iPad Pro.

Please visit my blog http://stevenwillardimages.wordpress.com

Cozy warm

Black And White Photography, Photography, Steven

Cozy warm, North Salem, New York © Steven Willard

Nothing like visiting good friends on a cold, windy, winter day. Enjoying the warmth of their hospitality and cozy surroundings. Watching the birds at the feeders as the wind blows and the temperature drops outside.

You can visit my blog at http://stevenwillardimages.wordpress.com

Antidote for freezing rain

Black And White Photography, Photography, Steven

July in the Mohave © Steven Willard

It may be cold and wet in New England now, but then it was hot and dry. I look at this image and remember.

You can view more of my images at https://www.stevenwillardimages.wordpress.com.

 

Coffee time

Black And White Photography, Photography, Steven

Coffee time, Camden, Me. © Steven Willard

This fellow reminded me of my dad. I don’t know if it was his time in the Army during WWII, the effects of the Great Depression, or maybe it’s just my imagination, but it seems to me that he and other folks of that era drank coffee in a more serious manner; almost like the devout drinkers one sees in neighborhood bars before lunch. I’d be interested to know what his reaction would be to Starbucks and other trendy coffee bars where one can spend more on a cup of coffee than he once earned in a day.

Please visit my blog at https://www.stevenwillardimages.wordpress.com

Everybody’s a Critic

Photography

The Critic, Museum of Modern Art, NYC © Steven Willard

When everyone’s a critic it can take a thick skin, or a healthy amount of self confidence, or both, to display one’s work. We can begin to wonder if our work is good enough and start trying to make our work perfect. That can be a formula for disaster. In Shakespeare’s King Lear , the Duke of Albany offers this warning, “striving to be better, oft we mar what’s well”. Wanting to get better at what we do is admirable, but not if it stifles our art, or spoils the fun.

Please visit my blog at  https://stevenwillardimages.wordpress.com

Naked Tree

Black And White Photography, Photography, Steven

Naked Tree © Steven Willard

I wonder if trees dream, and if they do, I wonder if they ever dream of being caught outside in broad daylight naked? Have you ever had that dream? Scary, right?

Pentax K5IIs with kit zoom.

Please visit my blog at http://stevenwillardimages.wordpress.com.

Here’s Looking at Yew

Black And White Photography, Photography, Steven

Here’s Looking at Yew © Steven Willard

I’m a sucker for farm animals. Especially the friendly, curious ones like this who had learned that people would offer an apple core or a scratch on the head. HOw could they not?

Panasonic Lumix G3 with the little Panasonic 17mm f1.7 lens, processed in Snapseed.

To see more of my photographs visit http://stevenwillardimages.wordpress.com.

Tangled up in vines

Black And White Photography, Photography, Steven

Tangled Tree © Steven Willard

I struggled at first when I tried to refine the composition of this photograph. I thought there should be a way to crop, or a better angle to simplify the image. I was fighting with reality. In the end, I accepted the fact that what drew me to the image in the first place was the chaos, and how the eye wants to zigzag all over the frame before it lands on the little “bullseye” in the top center of the image. It was an image that knew what it wanted to be before I did.

Olympus OMD-EME1 with 12-40mm f2.8 zoom converted to black and white using Silver Efex Pro 2 in Lightroom.

You can see more of my images at https://stevenwillardimages.wordpress.com