Focus on Life - Week 8 - Monochromatic

 
Sally's prompt was: MONOCHROMATIC
 
 
"This week look deeper through the lens to the story your photo captures and then process it to one color! 
Or be daring and shoot in B&W (monochrome)."
 
I thought this would be a rather easy challenge but I was wrong.



I played around with my camera settings and some photo editing software programs and tried out new things.


 
 I really like other people's black and white photos and even many photos I see with Sepia and other tones, but not so much my own photos. 

Sepia's not too bad I guess,....
 
  I just really don't have the eye for it.

Not the way I want to, anyway.




That said, it really made me start viewing things in an entirely new way and noticing different colors.


The mountains of AZ. I truly love how the mountains
are every shade of blue!


I liked that!
 
  
So I challenged myself to capture Monochromatic (sort of!) pics in the world around me, with out processing to one color or doing major edits.  And it couldn't be shot in black and white (my own silly rules!).


Pretty much everything is this drab, dead color since we've had such a weird winter.

This was tough - the world is so multi-colored!

Thanks for bringing me out of my comfort zone this week Sally! 




It was definitely a fun perspective this week!






  
Make sure you check out all the other participant's photos!


Just for fun!!
 
 
Until Next Time,
Peace, Love and Monochromatic Challenges!
Cheers,
~Shel~ 
 
 
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24 comments:

  1. Mystic IndigoFebruary 23, 2013 at 9:47 AM

    It was a challenging prompt! I went outside and used my viewfinder with the setting in B & W to start seeing what popped out...it helped me 'see' the environment around me, and I noticed that it is definitely about contrast to shoot in monochromatic mode...so I started noticing the value of things instead of their color...those mountains are wonderful, and I think you hit on a great method of seeing in no color by finding neutral stuff that occurs naturally and seeing what makes it special...the dandelion puff is great...maybe try playing with the contrast function in your photo editing software to see where that takes you...have a great week!!!

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    1. ShelFebruary 23, 2013 at 10:24 AM

      Thanks Stacie, I will try checking out more editing functions. It's funny, but my newer camera doesn't have (or I couldn't find it anyway, even in the manual) a black and white setting,...so it was difficult to get the look I wanted in the editing software.

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  2. TanyaFebruary 23, 2013 at 10:01 AM

    I'm so glad you kept at it and played by your own rules. That dandelion shot is just amazing .. totally stunning. I love the daisy as well. The yellow is fantastic.

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  3. Mary K. McGrawFebruary 23, 2013 at 10:26 AM

    Love the picture of the blue Az mountains and of the dandelion. And I like your black and white photos also. The sepia toned ones evoke an old fashion feeling in the viewer.

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  4. AntiquityTravelersFebruary 23, 2013 at 10:37 AM

    You are so amazing behind the camera! I love the effect on the dandelion, and the last one is awesome - how you added in just a touch of the original colors.

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  5. MeelingFebruary 23, 2013 at 10:48 AM

    Very cool shots! I love the dandelion!

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  6. Beti HorvathFebruary 23, 2013 at 1:37 PM

    On my camera, black and white is in a menu called photo filter, and the one you chose to get b&w is "classic." Go figure! I do like what you did in your experiments.

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  7. elisabeth February 23, 2013 at 2:06 PM

    Great pictures - love that yellow one!

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  8. kokoFebruary 23, 2013 at 3:00 PM

    Shel these are just beautiful! I love that you looked for monochromatic subjects.

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  9. Becky PancakeFebruary 23, 2013 at 5:19 PM

    WOW your mountain pic is spectacular. You did a wonderful job of finding natural monochrome. The dandelion is outstanding too.

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  10. CindyFebruary 23, 2013 at 9:15 PM

    I think you did an amazing job with this week's challenge! I agree, that mountain shot is just breathtaking!! But my other favorite is the flower bud in B&W - so beautiful.

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  11. AnnetteFebruary 23, 2013 at 10:11 PM

    I absolutely love your natural monochrome shots! As much as I adore b&w photos, I'm never happy with mine either.
    In my manual, I found it under Monochrome!

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  12. Cyndi JFebruary 23, 2013 at 10:39 PM

    Monochromatic is certainly not limited to black and white so I think your mountain, dandelion, and yellow flower (not sure if it's a daisy) photos are spot on. I took a photo of a tea box that was monochromatic in shades of orange but didn't use it. I should have after seeing your photos. I didn't even look to see if my camera has a B&W option and used Photoshop and just changed the mode to B&W. But I could have done more to make the B&W one pop. I'm mentioning that because you mentioned being dissatisfied with the B&W ones. But I think your B&W ones are good!

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  13. Adaptable Kay February 23, 2013 at 11:23 PM

    I must say I'm quite the fan of B&W photography; it's just so classic and timeless! Although, as you said, the world is MULTICOLORED and it's all truly beautiful :)

    I really enjoy your interpretation of this week's challenge! I think you did a wonderful job ^.^

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  14. Lori PFebruary 24, 2013 at 7:59 AM

    Well you certainly got the hang of it! beautiful and thoughtful. I love the last image collage.

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  15. brokenteepeeFebruary 24, 2013 at 10:23 AM

    I live in a grey world in the winter here in Montana so it wasn't that hard for me. I adore the desert.

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  16. aneri_masiFebruary 24, 2013 at 12:14 PM

    The sunny yellow is my fav! When Sally mentioned monochromatic, I wondered if it would be ok to pick one color and click pics of it...like you have done with the yellow one. Since monochromatic does mean: all the colors (tints, tones, and shades) of a single hue.

    And you went and did just that :) Love it! And also like how you have embedded a part of the color version in the last one.

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  17. A Polymer PenchantFebruary 24, 2013 at 1:46 PM

    In my camera, the setting goes by the name monochrome.... But I love how you worked around that. They're all beautiful shots, but man those mountains - that is incredible! If I had that for a vew I'm pretty sure I would get nothing done in a day. And that would be ok at least for a little while :)

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  18. ClaireFebruary 25, 2013 at 1:36 AM

    amazing photos! i love how the b&w makes the eye really focus on the details of the flowers! the dandelion is my favourite :)

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  19. Honey from the BeeFebruary 25, 2013 at 8:49 AM

    I found it challenging, too. My favorite of yours is the collage with the B&W and the color shots of the same flowers. Really interesting. Of course I'm partial to the dandelion shot, too.

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  20. Karen WilliamsFebruary 26, 2013 at 10:18 PM

    I found this week's challenge tough as well! My favorite of yours is definitely the 'Dead Dandelion'. I've always liked dandelion poofs and yours is a great shot.

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  21. LoriFFebruary 28, 2013 at 6:22 PM

    Love them! My very favorite is that last collage, and also the dandelion..great pics!

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  22. CraftyHopeFebruary 28, 2013 at 11:00 PM

    It WAS hard to select subjects for this challenge, I think you did a wonderful job. The dandelion is my favorite though. There's just something so great about the fluffiness of them that really draws you in. Your shot of it is great!

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