I am captivated by sculptures … all kinds. This is a giant wood sculpture of a Praying Mantis in Morris Arboretum’s (Philadelphia, PA) new “Bugs” display. I encourage anyone in the area to make a visit.
My challenge for this day’s shoot was to visualize in Black and White. The Mantis’ warm brown wood tone against the bright blue sky with a couple of white puffy clouds provided the contrast that I was looking for.
Most times I go to NYC with my camera in tote, I walk by this statue of Atlas holding the globe. I’ve tried to shoot it in various lighting conditions without much luck. I’ve shot it on bright clear days where the sun blows out the highlights. I’ve shot it on cloudy days in the shade without significant contrast. This day the statue was in partly cloudy light. The highlights were not blown out and the shadows had adequate detail. Persistence pays off.