California pics, part 2

[Wicked Dark]

It's impossible to resist monochrome conversions with snowy mountains. Impossible I tells ya.

Convict lake -
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5185/5793440630_c63e6c6194_b.jpg

And yes, escaped criminals were involved in the naming.

Here's Rock Creek Lake. While it's only at 8000 feet or so, there was still ice on most of it.

http://wickeddark.smugmug.com/Travel/Eastern-Sierras-Trip-2011/i-B5NjDf4/0/XL/Rock-Creek-LakeKristenSmithMay-XL.jpg

I found a swath of these little flowers on the way to the bristlecone pine forest which is at 10,000 feet and higher. These flowers were probably at 9000 feet or so. Close to the earth they looked like stranded water lilies.

http://wickeddark.smugmug.com/Portfolio/The-Black-and-White-Collection/i-43g8KTQ/0/XL/True-GritKristenSmithMay-23-XL.jpg

[edG]

love the tones and textures you have captured, a real beauty of a series in B&W

[Wicked Dark]

thanks. b&w is a natural for some things.

[Marko]

Lovely set WD - Shot 1 for me please. really dig the tonal quality!

[Wicked Dark]

Thanks M. the sun was getting high when we hiked around Convict Lake, so that's about the only good shot of it. The color is a deep aqua that was really difficult to capture well.

[thoughton]

Number 1 for me too, great tones in that. The water appears to be a bit tilted.

[Mad Aussie]

I must be one of the few that doesn't share that view WD. I've never been drawn to doing much B&W landscapes although I do on occasion. But I personally much perfer to see colour in mountain scenes shots, unless there naturally wasn't any :)
Having said that, your first shot here is very, very nice! Great tones and texture throughout. It has really bought out the detail in the mountain itself. Well done.

[Wicked Dark]

thanks guys.

B&W is an odd beast sometimes. Because the human brain is so color-oriented we sometimes ignore and literally don't see certain elements in photographs like light/shadow, form and texture. When color doesn't reinforce the underlying strength in a scene, I delete it. With that Convict lake shot, the color did nothing to enhance the photo in any way...it was just there. My brain looked at the color, but not at the strength and austerity of those mountains which is the point, so it's gone. Would it look nice? Would people like it? Probably, but it wouldn't be as striking or as effective and that's my job as a photographer - to make you see, not just make you look.

[JAS_Photo]

Lovely set,wicked D! Love the front to back sharpness of the first!

[Wicked Dark]

thanks Jackie. I wished for an ever wider lens for that one. the water is so clear and the rocks make an interesting lead in.