Category Archives: B&W Photography

Practice

Leave a reply

160725_JapaneseMaple_AntiqueFuji X-T1, XF 18-135mm @ 18mm, f/8.0, 1/550 sec, ISO 800

My photography has not been very creative lately.  When I get this way, I like to walk around and just practice.  I do not have high expectations and just stop to photograph what catches my eye.  I usually do not carry a tripod with me during these practice shoots.  I use them as a scouting inspiration/exploration endeavor to come back and shoot at a better time.  This image was taken in mid-day light at the Washington Arboretum Japanese Garden in Seattle.  I spent 2 to 3 hours just walking around and enjoying the beautiful garden.  I shot for less than an hour.

Once home, I just started playing around with different processing techniques on a few images. Again, more practice.  This was one of the images that caught my eye.  The original image was full of bright yellows, greens, and some oranges.  I almost did not even try black and white processing.  I wasn’t happy with the standard B&W images either, so I decided to experiment (play) some more.  This sepia with a reverse vignette was the result.

Related Images:

Badlands National Park

Leave a reply

160604_Badlands 2Fuji X-T1, EF 18-135mm @ 31mm, f/16, 1/110 sec, ISO 800

I walked down into the basin of the Badlands and looked up to see the towering, eroded hills behind me.  I processed this image to separate the foreground from the background by adding a touch of NIK’s Color EFEX Pro graduated fog to the background.  I should have shot this image at a wider aperture to produce a natural effect.  Lesson Learned:  Take my time, work the image from different settings and exposures to create the effects that bring out specific elements of the subject.

Related Images:

Badlands National Park – Burns Basin

Leave a reply

160602_Badlands 1Fuji X-T1, EF18-135mm @ 18mm, f/11, 1/175 sec, ISO 400

During a 2,880 mile, 4 day drive from Philadelphia to Washington State, I made one stop to photograph the Badlands National Park.  The Badlands has been on my photography “bucket list” for years.  I got up early at 3:00 AM and drove 200 miles to catch the sunrise at the park.  I spent only 5 hours driving and taking short walks to capture the typical sights.  It was more of a quick scouting expedition rather than a planned photo shoot.  I will be back!

The light was rather poor, even at sunrise.  But that did not alter my enjoyment of the park.  I anticipated that I would end up processing the images in B&W, so I focused my shooting on trying to capture tonal contrasts.  During the next few days I will post additional Badlands National Park photos.

Related Images:

Yakima Arboretum Early Spring IR

Leave a reply

160406_Yakima ArboretumCanon XT-IR, Tamron 18-270mm @ 65mm, f/11, 1/500 sec, ISO 400

Cherry trees are in bloom and brilliant green leaves are emerging at the Yakima Arboretum.  It is a great time to get out my old IR converted Canon Rebel XT and try out some IR imagery.  It was a beautiful spring day and I had a little time in the middle of the day to get out and explore.  I chose to work in B&W using Infrared.  The Arboretum was showing its early spring pink and white blooms of the cherries and pears as well as a few trees with emerging brilliant light green leaves.  Tomorrow I will go again with my normal camera.

Related Images:

It Is Good to be Back in the Country

Leave a reply

160328_Lonesome TreeCanon 7D MkII, EF 100-400mm L@ 100mm, f/11, 1/1000 sec, ISO 400

This is my first blog entry since the end of 2015.  Since then I have moved from Bucks County, Pennsylvania (between Philly and NY City) to rural Central Washington.  It is good to be back home in the country side where I grew up.  Life is simpler here.

Residential growth has expanded in the rural areas.  The area where I live was an orchard belonging to one of my school mates family.  I remember exploring the area when I was a kid.  There is a lot of rural charm in the area including this tree located on a nearby side hill.  There are still a lot of undeveloped areas to explore.  My challenge will be to get out several times a week, walk the area and find new adventures.

Related Images:

Gettysburg: North Carolina Memorial

Leave a reply

150630_Gettysburg_NC Mem by Karl Graf. Gettysburg – North Carolina Monument

Surrounded by dogwood trees (the North Carolina state tree), the monument features figures of North Carolina infantrymen advancing during Pickett’s Charge, where fifteen infantry regiments from North Carolina participated and suffered heavy casualties. One man kneels injured on the ground, pointing towards the enemy with his proper left hand while two men wield guns and look forward. A fourth man holds a flag in both hands as he glances forward.

The North Carolina Monument is my favorite in Gettysburg.  To me it best depicts the feeling of the Southern soldiers as they faced the onslaught of the Union guns during Pickett’s Charge.  It sends shivers through my body every time I visit.

This battle fought 152 years ago just prior to Independence Day, marked the turn of the war that kept our Country united.

 

Related Images:

Gettysburg National Battlefield: Louisiana Memorial

Leave a reply

150630_Gettysburg_LA Mem by Karl Graf. Louisiana Memorial – “Peace and Memory”

I have not posted an entry during the whole month of June.  I will try to do a little better this month.  On a trip to Gettysburg National Battlefield last month I was able to get images of a few memorials and battlefield scenes.  I processed them using Nik Silver Efex Pro sepia toning to fit the character of the past.

Donald De Lue named his memorial sculpture  “Peace and Memory”.  He explained, “It flies over the battlefield blowing the long, shrill clarion call on the trumpet over the long forgotten shallow graves of the Confederate dead. It is taps for the heroic dead at Gettysburg.”  De Lue explained the female figure is “Spirit Triumphant”, symbolizing the survival of the spirit and the ideas of these men that they did not die in vain. The eternal flame held in the other hand symbolizes the memory of these gallant men. It is the embodiment of the spirit that went into the Battle of Gettysburg with them.”

Louisiana had approximately 3031 soldiers engaged at the Battle of Gettysburg. 724 of them were casualties for a loss of 23.9%. This percentage placed Louisiana 22nd in rank of all the states that had soldiers at Gettysburg.

150630_Gettysburg_LA Mem2 by Karl Graf.

 

Related Images:

We Will Never Forget !

Leave a reply

150525_We Will Never Forget-1 by Karl Graf. Fuji X-T1, XF 18-135mm @ 49mm, f/9, 1/280 sec, ISO 200

This image was taken at the “Garden of Memories” near Newtown, PA.  The Gardens memorialize the 9/11 tragedy.  Along its spiral walk it memorializes the 2973 people killed, the the 58 Pennsylvania victims, the 42 children from Pennsylvania who lost a parent, and the 18 Bucks County victims.  On the inner ring of the spiral, the Bucks County victims are etched in glass.  It is a quiet and peaceful place.  A place to walk, sit, and reflect.  Remember … on this Memorial Day!

 

Related Images: