Black and White - When and Why

The first memories I have of looking at and admiring photography are of flipping through copies of National Geographic - which I ended up subscribing to for a number of years - or sitting in a library, looking at an oversized coffee table book of the work of Ansel Adams.  Years later, whenever I look at a black and white photo of a dramatic landscape, I still think of Adams and his magnificent work both behind the camera and in the darkroom.  

As I've spent more time getting out and taking photos, then processing them in the digital darkroom, I've started to develop a liking for giving some photos a black and white treatment, in particular those which contain a lot of "drama" in the sky.  I know that doing so can border on the cliche - "oh, who does he think he is, the next Ansel Adams?" - but when it comes to photography, I tend to go with a "I like what I like" philosophy.  What follows are several examples of when I decided that the combination of drama in the sky and a black and white look would be the most effective way to convey what I was feeling or thinking in the moment.

This photo was taken last March at the Quarai Ruins in the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument in New Mexico.  We were walking the short trail that winds around the grounds when I saw this tree, its bare branches reaching towards the sky like a skeletal hand.  As I was walking around the tree the sky started to blacken and look threatening, and when I processed the photo I went with a treatment which emphasized the interplay between the stormy sky and the silhouette of the tree...

Last June a thunderstorm quickly rolled across the desert toward Santa Fe, and I grabbed my camera to take a few shots from the upstairs balcony of my house.  There was a lot of drama in the sky, a spectacular show...  

In July we were headed back to Santa Fe from visiting family in Kansas when I decided to take a small detour and visit Monument Rocks National Natural Landmark in Gove County, Kansas.  The clouds had a "wispy" quality to them, and I cropped the photo square to give equal weight to rocks in the foreground and the clouds...   

Later in July we were driving the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway in northern New Mexico when we arrived at the Peace and Brotherhood Chapel at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park near Angel Fire.  This is a favorite place of mine to photograph, it's sweeping, angular lines offering a variety of compositional opportunities.  As I was walking back towards the parking lot I saw these clouds rising up in the sky behind the chapel.  The chapel itself, having been painted white, lends itself to a black and white treatment and with the cloud bank behind it, doing so was a natural choice... 

Last November I was driving along Highway 50 near Strong City in Eastern Kansas, a grey, cloudy, dreary, winter day, nondescript in every way.  Nearly lost in the monotony of the drive, I looked over and saw this tree, its white trunk standing out against the grey of the day.  In this instance I went with a monochrome look to emphasize the look of the white tree trunk against the dull grey sky - the opposite of drama, but the feel I was going for...     

All photos: Nikon D7000, Nikkor 18-55 DX (first photo), Nikkor 16-85 DX VR (all others)

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