Returning in Black and White

Just a couple of days ago, I took a colour photograph of an old tree nestled close to the shore of Strangford Lough — due to its misshaped branches hanging over the stony beach it made for an interesting composition. The image was full of life, the kind that colour readily reveals. But my original intention was to produce a monochrome image and it left me wondering: how would this scene hold up in black and white?

Today, I returned to the same location determined that I wanted a monochrome print. The goal wasn’t just to take the same shot without colour, but to try and reimagine the scene through light, shadow, and texture. Where colour once guided the eye, now shape, contrast, and composition had to carry the weight. Not an easy task, especially as prevailing conditions play such a crucial role in producing a sparkling image. 

Shooting in black and white forced a deeper kind of seeing. I noticed things that were not as apparent before.   Rolling patterns, twists and turns and changing light, shadow and texture.  I hope that the result seen here wasn’t a duplication of my photograph of a couple of days ago, but rather a  different reinterpretation.