Category Archives: B&W Photography

Winter Textures

“Winter Yarrow and Grasses”
Heatherwood Meadow

There is always something to see and photograph in the garden. Something as simple as the varying textures of spent yarrow and grasses make me stop and click the shutter. It happened in our garden over 16 thousand times last year!

Now I am paying the price of sorting through and picking the “keepers.” Each year I have been making a “Heatherwood Highlights” photo book. I am in that process right now and have to reduce my 16-plus thousand images down to about 300. I have been working on the project for about a month and am down to around 600. It hurts me each time I through one out. I have a lot more blood to give to reach my target. Wish me luck!

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White Christmas

“Japanese Garden Entrance”
Heatherwood Winter

Our wish for a White Christmas will be fulfilled. With our continued cold temperatures, the snow from previous snowfalls has not melted and the frost remains on our trees. In addition we have had several little dustings to keep the snow looking fresh. Our setting for Christmas is a winter wonderland. We will no longer need to dream for a white Christmas. It is here in full glory!

Merry Christmas!

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A Reminder

“Angels Unaware”
St. Peter’s Square, The Vatican

Across the world, refugees are streaming across borders from war-torn, crime-laden, and economic-deprived conditions. They are just looking for somewhere to live where they can earn a simple living free from fear and oppression.

Walking through St. Peter’s Basilica square in the Vatican, I gazed at this new (2019) monument created by Timothy P. Schmalz. The sad staring eyes of this one woman captured my attention. I couldn’t break away. I felt like she was seeking my help.

We live in an area that is dependent on migrant workers to harvest our valley’s crops. Without them, our local economy would not survive. We need them as much as they need us. Over time, they have integrated into our communities. We are all better for it!

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A Beam of Light

“Sculpture”
St. Peter’s Basilica, The Vatican

A beam of light brushed across the head and hand of this unassuming sculpture in St. Peter’s Basilica. The image created by the light jumped out at me. For a short moment, this simple sculpture was the most prominent piece of art in the glorious Basilica.

I’ve looked through hundreds of St. Peter’s Basilica images on-line and haven’t been able to find this sculpture. It just has not captured a photographer’s eye. Be what it may, it is my favorite photograph of our visit to Rome.

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Awe Inspiring

“The David”
Galleria dell’Accademia
, Florence, Italy

I thought the copy of ‘The David’ standing outside the Uffizi museums was a breath taking sculpture. But then I saw the original at the Accademia. I stood and just stared. I walked up close and stared some more. I walked around the sculpture, stopping every few steps. I looked from every angle. I walked around to the front and stared more. I stepped back and just admired the great piece of art. I then raised my camera and realized that there was no way that I could create an image that represented the feeling that ‘The David’ invoked upon me. The above image is the closest that I came. I wish I could better describe what I felt.

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There is a Story Behind

“Madam of Stink”
Florence, Italy

In the cradle of the Renaissance, we saw this comic sculpture in an alley way. It was a protest from the building owner to the local garbage service. The garbage service identified this spot in the alley for residents in the local area to deposit their garbage. We were told that the protest was in vain.

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Wheels Forever

“Wheels, Wheels, and More Wheels”
Damien Barn, Unionville, WA

The line of wheels seem to go on forever. What is the history behind each one? How many years ago were they in use? What type of vehicle were they used on, and what were they used for? Were they part of an implement or a mechanism of transport? So many questions I have? It would a wonderful experience to walk along the fence with an “old timer” and hear him talk about where the wheels came from.

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Squiggles

“Steptoe View”
The Palouse, Washington

One of my favorite places to be in Washington State is on Steptoe Butte in the Palouse. It is a place where I can gaze over the rolling hills of the farm land below and dream of the past, present, and future. Time goes by, clouds skim across the sky. Little ‘ant-like’ vehicles move about. Memories flash through my mind. When I was a little tyke, Uncle Ben and I would walk out to the sagebrush ridge past our orchard. We had our special rock where we would sit and look over the Naches valley below. Farmers would be working their fields, driving their tractors back and forth. He would tell me stories both fictional and of his past experiences. I would dream.

I close my eyes, then open them up again. The farm land fades away. In its place emerges a pattern of textures, tones, and curves. The scene below becomes a flowing blanket as the shadows from the clouds traverse across.

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Welcome

“Welcome to the Garden”
Portland Japanese Garden

This tall statuesque lantern welcomes visitors into the natural part of the Portland Japanese Garden. I have had a difficult time photographing this lantern during my several trips to the garden. On a sunny day, the strong light casts bright spots and shadows across the scene. On a cloudy day the moss-covered lantern blends into the background. During this visit, the light was gentle in the background as well as on the foreground. I was able to create a little more interest. It still is not quite what I want, but it getting closer. Maybe the next time I visit …

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