Nature Without Color

One of the things I love the most about hiking at Huntley Meadows is watching the landscape shift throughout the seasons.

Some days I will go in the winter and all I will see are the black birds scattering the gray sky that never flew south for the winter. Then in the spring, the ivory buds immerge and the green reeds grow tall creating a cover for the beavers and ducks.

This past week I discovered lots of little creatures. I witnessed a green grass snake slither across my path, as well as countless painted turtles sunning themselves. I even spotted the occasional snapping turtle in the murky water seemingly right below my nose. There were red-winged blackbirds and swallows of all varieties.

The blue sky is striking against the shades of lush green layers of foliage down to the microscopic moss that lives at the base of the bark. Colors are all around us. We see in color. But when you remove color you start to see something else. The viewer begins to search beyond the neon sign and sees the subtle differentiations between the shades of tones. Black and white photography is beautiful and strong.

I currently and for some time now have shot in color and honestly still look at the world through my lens in terms of black and white. You want to be able to pull out the dimensions and depth in your subjects by placing them on a contrasting background. Look at nature and you will see the intentional interplay between light and dark, shadow and highlight.

Next time you go on a hike, bring your camera and try your eye at black and white. You may find a whole new depth of textures that you would not taken the time to discover in color.

Please feel free to share any comments or questions with me.

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