The other night we hit the coast … the fog was low and the sky was grey and we were chilled and cold.  Trust me when I say California is not all sunshine and balmy breezes!  Mark Twain supposedly said, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”  It’s true for points south as well.
Having a phone camera can be rather nice . . . not always the best shot, but sometimes the most candid and discreetly taken. Â Everyone has a cell phone, and everyone has cameras in their phones (for the most part). Â In bad light, blur; in good light, glare. Â And in perfect conditions, sometimes it is nearly impossible to tell it was taken by a phone.
Black and white can be very difficult if not done properly – contrast has to be there, whether long scale (lots of grey between the blackest black and whitest white) or short scale (little grey between black and white). Â Long scale images may never reach black or white, and may not work at all. Â Certain colors work better in b&w with a filter. Â So much more stuff, it seems to me, needs to be learned when shooting in b&w! Â I struggle with it. Â Above is longer scale; below is shorter scale. Â The red leaves were really difficult to render.
I was quite amused!
I was taking a snap out of the restaurant window of this young woman – she was talking to her friends and had been looking down. As I snapped away, she saw me, and gave me this lovely smile. It really made this photo – and my day. Thank you, whoever you are!
Ink, Yarn & Beer 