Tag Archives: black and white

Photo of the Day- “Monochrome Leaf No. 1″

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"Monochrome Leaf No. 1" - Tracey Capone Photography

I love using black and white to draw details out that the eye would otherwise not notice in the presence of color. When you look at a colorful red Autumn leaf, do you notice the pattern of the veins running through it or the pop of bright red color? Do you notice the subtle curl of one of the tips or the beautiful ember glow of oranges subtly working their way in to the palate? I have always loved how black and white photography forces the brain to look at  a photograph much more closely because it doesn’t have the color cues that a full color photograph would.

Today’s Photo of the Day, “Monochrome Leaf No. 1” was taken during a walk through the Cook County Forest Preserve last Autumn. The leaf sat on a beautiful, almost black, log and had all of the amazing fiery colors of the other surrounding fall leaves. However, what I loved most were the subtle bends and curves of the leaf, the spiderweb pattern of the veins and how the leaf, had it not been so colorful, would have almost blended in to the background pattern of the log. While I love Autumn’s color palate I simply loved how the sterling tones in the end result brought out all of my favorite aspects of the leaf.

Enjoy!

*tracey*

Photo of the Day- “Embrace”

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"Embrace" - Tracey Capone Photography

I think my favorite sign that Spring has, well, sprung, is the dogwood blooms. I love how the papery, delicate sepals  gently cradle the smaller inner flowers. (The common misconception is that the larger part is a flower.  They’re actually called “bracts” and protect several smaller flowers on the inside, similar to the green sepals that protect other buds before blooming)

I love how the tips of the creme colored bracts have just the slightest but of burgundy at the end, as if nature was using Photoshop to “burn” the edges to give them definition. More than anything, I love the overall structure of a dogwood, especially when shot as a monochrome image like the photo of the day, “Embrace.”

I wanted to give this a bit more definition by adding an espresso tone to the overall picture and I love how this turned out. The creme colored sepals in stark contrast to the bold, inner flowers; the variations in the leaves and the branches. Mother Nature gave us a wonderful subject when she created dogwoods, don’t you think?

Enjoy!

*tracey*

"Texture Series" - Tracey Capone Photography

“Second City” (Using selective focus and color for creative results)

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"Second City" Tracey Capone Photography 2010

 

One of the newest pieces in my gallery is, “Second City;” a photograph of the Chicago Theatre sign along State Street here in Chicago.Those who know State Street will also recognize the Marshall Fields clock (sorry, still can’t call it Macy’s) and the Marina Towers in the background.

I’ve used two techniques, one pre- and the other post-processing, to get the ultimate effect you see here.

First, by using my Lensbaby Composer lens, which utilizes a ball and socket setup to provide an amazing selective focus effect, I’ve blurred out the areas immediately surrounding the sign, including the clock and the towers in the back.  By switching my camera in to manual focus and a combination of moving the lens on the ball and socket as well as manually focusing the lens, I was able to focus in on the sign without completely blurring the surroundings to the point where you can’t recognize them. (If you haven’t already tried a Lensbaby, check them out. The amount of fun and creativity that comes from using one of their lenses, as well as the many accessories available, is well worth the cost of the lens.)

Secondly, in post-processing, using masking as well as some creative actions in Photoshop, I’ve pulled out the amazing colors in the sign, while creating a platinum black and white effect for the remaining areas.

Moral of the story… don’t be afraid to “draw outside the lines” and use selective focus for creative results. Not every shot has to be 100% crisp and clear. Sometimes, blurring out certain aspects of the shot forces the viewer to look at the entire photograph rather than just your main subject while it conversely sets a more creative stage for the main attraction. You can find more great tips on using selective focus here.

And voila, I give you, “Second City.”

Enjoy!

*tracey*

Silver Needle, White Tea… a Treasury

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antique parcel post scale by lacklusterco

My latest treasury takes it’s name from a rare tea, also known as Yin Zhen, a tea famous for its subtle taste, pale infusion, and extraordinary purity. It was a well guarded secret of the Chinese emperors and a rare delicacy in the West. It was reserved for the imperial family until only a few decades ago when it became available to the public. The sweet, pale buds of the Silver Needle tea are picked less than one month during the year, some time between late March and early April.

While I didn’t build the treasury around the name, I thought the description of the tea could also describe the finds: subtle, pale, extraordinary. Please take a peek at each of the stores… you won’t be sorry.

Enjoy!

*tracey*

OK I admit it…

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Art Print by mincingmockingbird on Etsy

…I’ve been a bad, bad blogger, rife with procrastination.  Couldn’t be helped though; I moved, work got busy, {insert more excuses here}.

I know, I know, excuses, excuses. I took an oath to maintain my blog and I haven’t posted since what, June, July, something like that? OK, I didn’t really take an oath but  I’m back to creating regular blog posts. Thank you to those who have been checking in and stuck by me during the “Silent Months.”

For those who have been reading my blog from the beginning, you know that I had been in the habit of spotlighting three fellow Etsians each week in the “My Favorite Finds” category. I’m going to mix things up a bit and start pulling in one of my new favorite addictions…creating treasuries on Etsy. Yes, it’s an addiction, and for anyone that’s done it, you know what of I speak. You sit there, no matter where you are, thinking of themes, color schemes, trying to figure out what, exactly, is going through the minds of the folks at Etsy when coming up with the next front page. It’s okay, we’re all friends here, you can admit it… Hi, my name is Tracey and I’m addicted to…

Anyway…today’s offering is an homage to a recent article that Real Simple posted about painting and decorating with gray. Have you ever tried it? I have. It didn’t quite turn out the way I wanted it to. Admittedly though,  my home painting adventures never do; thinking back to my disastrous “Mediterranean themed” bedroom that turned out blood red and eggplant purple… yikes. I was aiming for a pale gray bathroom and somehow ended up with what can only be described as a blue steel. (not to be confused with the Ben Stiller look from “Zoolander”)

The article, with great tips from one of Apartment Therapy‘s expert painters, shed some light on how to approach painting with this ever-popular color. Add to that some amazing photos with furniture by one of my favorite stores, Room and Board, and the article paid wonderful tribute to one of my favorite colors.

I hope you enjoy the treasury. Be sure to check out the amazing shops included and remember, it’s not always black and white… sometimes it’s shades of gray (with some yellow accents thrown in for good measure)

Enjoy!

*tracey*

New Creation- The Monochrome Botanical Series

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"Monochrome 1- Gardenia"

As far back as I can remember, I have loved black and white photos for their understated beauty. Beauty aside however, as I’ve discussed in earlier posts (and thus won’t bore you again with all the scientific mumbo jumbo about brain synapses and color assignment), I believe it’s also due to the lack of color which forces your mind to process the photograph in a way much different from a color photograph.

I especially love monochrome botanical photographs. It’s  easy to look at a picture of an orange poppy and say it’s beautiful, however it’s mostly due to the beautiful orange color nature provided it. Remove that color and you’re forced to look at the lines and curves of the flower itself and, quite frankly, in my mind, Mother Nature is a true artist.

My Monochrome Botanical Series is an ever-growing series of many of her best works. I am lucky enough to come across so many beautiful subjects in my daily life, that I’m excited about what’s to come. The series, as well as others, can be found here, in my online gallery.

Enjoy!

*tracey*

"Monochrome 3- Poppy"

"Monochrome 4- Poppies"

 

Monochrome 2- Succulent"

Going to a Good Home, “Smoke”

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I’m always toying around with new ways to shoot photos whether it be trying out a different lens, shooting from a different angle or, in this case, trying out a new filter.

“Smoke” is an 8×8 print of a beautiful dark pink bloom that I came across while wondering through Cheekwood Botanical Gardens in Nashville, TN. Doesn’t look pink right? I took this photo with an infrared filter attached to my macro lens. Now, if you look at other examples of infrared photography, this isn’t quite the same, but, regardless, I loved the end result of this photo.

Layered just slightly to give it a textured effect, I love how the flower ended up looking like billowing smoke. I’m still toying with the infrared photography, and plan on offering more as time goes on. In the mean time though, check out “Smoke” in my online gallery, as well as others available.

Smoke WM

"Smoke"

New Creation- “Delicate”- The Monochrome Series

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I have always been a fan of black and white photography, especially when it comes to landscapes and nature, and admit to having more than my fair share of Ansel Adams prints adorning the walls of my first college  apartment. I love black and white photography  for many reasons, one being I feel it forces your mind to view the subject in a whole different way.

Ready for some scientific stuff? Didn’t think you’d see this in a photo blog right? There are various studies out there that state  that our minds are wired to first recognize  color and automatically attach it to an object; red apple, pink flamingo, green grass, you get the point right? When you look at a color photograph, the first thing your mind registers are vibrant colors and your brain goes through a database of images to determine the object it’s attached to; this all happens within a matter of seconds so you’re not necessarily taking in the actual subject but rather the color.  With a black and white photograph, your mind is forced to first establish the subject and then process everything else; you’re forced to use your imagination for the rest which I feel also forces you to study the subject much more closely.

One of my latest pieces, “Delicate” is the latest in my ever growing Monochrome Series. They’re pretty common Phalaenopsis orchids, but I love the visible shadows cast by the surrounding orchids and how the light bounces off of each petal, almost sparkling; things you wouldn’t easily notice or even see in a color photograph. I named this piece “Delicate” because, while the black and white makes the orchids look somewhat steel-like, they still possess the delicate beauty inherent to an orchid. I chose to shoot these in black and white because, while orchids are naturally quite beautiful, I wanted to capture them in a way that would force the viewer to look more carefully at the flowers themselves, not just the colors associated with them.

“Delicate” and other pieces like this can be found in my online gallery with many more to come…

"Delicate"

"Delicate"