Last One Standing

Black And White Photography, Photography, Steven

Last One Standing, Roxbury, CT © Steven Willard

I’m not quite sure why I find lone trees so interesting. Is it somehow symbolic of the lone individual? Do I imagine Gary Cooper in “High Noon”, standing alone against the gang of outlaws? Or maybe Alan Ladd in “Shane”? I give away my age when I reference these two classic movies, but isn’t there something heroic in human lore about the rugged individual standing alone against the world? All I know is that whenever I see one of these old, gnarly trees that show the evidence of hardships, I feel strangely proud of them, and sad at the same time.

I learned from friends that this tree was finally felled by a storm. I drove back up to see for myself, and there standing by the side of the road, I wept.

Pentax K5IIs with 70mm f2.4 lens, processed in Photoshop CS4 and Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.

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

Best Of Monochromia – Curves

Black And White Photography, Photography, Steven

Curves

Moonlight Through The Pines

Black And White Photography, Photography, Steven

Moonlight through the pines, Woodbury, CT © Steven Willard

I don’t know how many people today remember Hoagy Carmichael, and yet whenever I come across a scene like this I am immediately reminded of his songs. Though he did not write the lyrics (those were by Stuart Gorrell), that line, “Georgia on my mind“, or the line “moonlight through the pines“, it’s Hoagy’s melody that echoes in my head.

If you have seen, and can remember the movie, “To Have, and Have Not”, the movie where Humphrey Bogart meets Lauren Bacall (all you have to do is whistle), you might also remember Hoagy as the cigarette smoking piano player. Maybe too, you will remember that Hoagy composed one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century. According to Wikipedia, “Stardust” has been recorded more that 1,500 times.

Odd how a stroll in the moonlight can have that effect on me.

Olympus OMD EM5 with 20mm f1.7 lens.

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

The Back of the House

Black And White Photography, Photography, Steven

The back of the house, Bethlehem, Connecticut © Steven Willard

It must be the contrarian in me, but I found the back of the Bellamy-Ferriday House to be more interesting than the formal front that normally gets more attention. The front is where “company” would have been shown into the house; the work is done ’round back. Besides, at this time of day the light was much more interesting.

Of course this doesn’t mean that I might not photograph the front some other time; I’m leaving my options open. I think this would be good advice if I was in the advice business or if anyone ever asked me. “Don’t just look at the front, explore and keep your options open”. Not that anyone asked me.

The Bellamy-Ferriday House and Gardens is open to the public for a nominal fee and is located at 9 Main Street North, Bethlehem, CT 0675.

Please visit me here for more images of Northwest Connecticut.

Curves

Black And White Photography, Photography, Steven

Curves, Roxbury, Connecticut © Steven Willard

Curves

drooping catenary wires

hang belly down

in sympathetic curves

over an empty country road

SJW

Pentax K5IIs with 15mm f4 lens.

Please visit my blog at https://stevenwillardimages.wordpress.com for more images of Northwest Connecticut.

Before

Black And White Photography, Photography, Steven

Staten Island Ferry, New York © Steven Willard

It was years before I moved to Connecticut, 1971 in fact. Here I was on my first trip to New York City and there were so many things I wanted to see and do, I hardly knew where to begin. But I knew that one of the things I wanted was to take the Staten Island Ferry, just to say I’d done it. I also thought it would be a great way to get a full view of lower Manhattan Island. It was a blustery day, with a low-hanging overcast, but in the distance I could easily make out the World Trade Towers that are just visible in the upper left of the photograph. This was long before the tragedy of 9/11, and before we lost the feeling that our country was indestructible. It will be a long, long time before we will feel that way again.

Pentax Spotmatic with 50mm lens and Tri-X. Scanned from a gelatin print and adjusted with curves in Photoshop CS4 to better match the original print.

Please visit my blog at https://stevenwillardimages.wordpress.com for more images and notes.

Side By Side

Black And White Photography, Photography, Steven

Side by Side, Portsmouth, NH © Steven Willard

To exist, side by side. Likely at the hand of the same creator. Made of the same materials. The inhabitants feel the same walls that surround them, hard and unforgiving. Once inside, looking out, can they see the color of the structure they inhabit, or only the color of their neighbor? Does it really matter then, black or white?

Pentax K10D with 35mm f2.8 macro lens, Silver Efex Pro2

Please visit my blog at https://stevenwillardimages.wordpress.com for more images and musings.

Porch Rail

Black And White Photography, Photography, Steven

The decision to make a photograph is an interesting proposition. What is it that catches our eye and convinces us that we’ve seen something that is worthy of a photograph? And why would we think anyone else will be interested, and should that matter to us? Do we really make photographs for others, or are we simply trying to satisfy our own needs?

I honestly don’t have answers to these questions, but they are questions that I find myself wondering about more and more. I think it is something most photographers go through as they gain years and experience. As a newcomer to photography we start out struggling to learn the craft well enough that we can make images that are in concert with our vision; it’s all about learning how to use the gear. We waste time, and money, looking for short cuts. We buy more gear thinking that better cameras and more lenses will magically make our photographs better when in fact it’s hard to find a really bad camera these days. Sure, if your interest is specialized, like wildlife, you may find yourself in search of longer and longer lenses that focus quicker, but most of us just don’t utilize the gear we have to its potential.

Most of us who keep photographing eventually realize that the gear isn’t the answer to making better images. The search becomes about what does, and that’s what keeps me interested in the art of photography. It’s a game you can play the rest of your life. Once you learn the rudiments of the game you realize its not about the equipment anymore than golf is about the clubs or fishing is about the rod and reel, or even about the fish; its about the quest. It’s about learning; what makes a good image, and how you convey your vision to others. Its about opening your mind as well as your eyes.

Pentax K5IIs with 70mm lens processed with Photoshop CS4 and Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.

Ezra Stoller It’s Not

Black And White Photography, Photography, Steven

Guggenheim Museum, NYC, 1972 © Steven Willard

I loved (love) Ezra Stolller’s architectural photographs, but on my first trip to New York City I had no illusions about the likelihood of coming anywhere close to his images of this famous Frank Lloyd Wright structure. All I had with me was the Pentax Spotmatic I had bought at the PX while I was in the Army, a cheap Soligar 28mm lens and a couple of rolls of Tri-X. How was I going to get anything with that combination on a bright contasty day with people milling around in the foreground? But as I walked, just like in the movies, I heard the voice of Robert Capa, “If your pictures aren’t good enough you aren’t close enough”. So, with the camera to my eye, I walked closer and closer, reframing every few steps until I had zeroed in on the “fold” of the façade where the “M”s come together. If you know the building those letters, and the sweeping arches above are enough.

It’s no Ezra Stoller, but I still like it.

Scanned from a gelatin print and reworked in Photoshop to more nearly match the original.

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Stone Drain

Black And White Photography, Photography, Steven

Looking around near where I live I often stumble across places where there is evidence of different eras. This drain, or culvert, was clearly constructed well before the road that passes over it was paved. No contractor today would use such materials; much too costly.

Olympus Omd EM5 with 20mm f1.7 lens, converted to B&W in Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.