Bill_Young-BW

After you get past all the technology to generate a print, there is still something special about seeing a matted, framed print hung on a wall. For years this was 'the' method of photographic expression, and for many of those years B&W prints were all that existed. Digital or traditional darkroom - pick your means of expression. For whatever reason, fine art B&W prints still hold magical powers to communicate in ways that colour prints cannot, since in many cases stripping the colour away allows the essence of the image to be revealed.

Here are a variety of subjects presented in B&W, some are larger sets, some just a handful of images.

Venice	A set of these images received a Lucie Award in the International Photoawards Competition for 2005. http://photoawards.com/05/contests/2005winners.asp
Greek Church	There is no lack of churches throughout Greece. The images here are of one small church on Santorini. I returned to it several times to catch the different light and shadow throughout the day. To people brought up in western civilization, the cross is a powerful symbol that adds not only to the composition but also the impact of the images.
Mexico - DOTD	DOTD stands for Day of the Dead, the annual Mexican celebration of loved ones passed on November 2. These images are from the main cemetery in San Miguel de Allende as people were preparing the gravesites for the upcoming festival. Like the crosses on the Greek churches, cemeteries and gravestones are also powerful symbols of our cultural beliefs and superstitions.
Abandoned	These images were taken in the Brickworks in Toronto, and other abandoned locations. The props reinforce the title for the series. Abandonment is something that we all face during our lifetimes, whether on personal, cultural or professional levels. We abandon beliefs, ideas, hopes, fears, dreams, and each other. I expect that this series will be expanded as I explore this topic with other subject material.
CMC, Ottawa	Ottawa is fortunate to have one of the architectural gems by Douglas Cardinal. The curved lines of the Canadian Museum of Civilization certainly convey the organic nature of geologic forms. Presenting these images in B&W helps to accentuate the flow of the building without the distraction of any colour.
Death Valley	Death Valley encompasses some unique geographic features. Certainly the sand dunes at Mesquite Flat provide abundant opportunity for photography, especially with the low light of morning and evening. Also attractive in colour, these images are pushed further into abstractions in black and white.
Smoky Mountains NP	I was pleasantly surprised that the Smokies in the spring would yield good B&W material. This was helped by snow above 700m elevation on the Chimney Tops Trail, and rain the last morning when shooting dogwoods in bloom.
The Southwest	The rich contrasts in tone and colour in the Southwest rocks easily lend themselves to black and white treatment. Flowing water and the highlights of the bright yellow leaves add further opportunities.
The Oregon Coast	The Oregon Coast is yet another rich playground. Sunsets with clear skies lead to high contrast images, but lots of foreground material to add visual interest and depth.

Once you have a digital image (scanned film or digital capture), converting to B&W can be accomplished in many ways. Printing B&W also requires proper technique if the full impact of the image is to be effectively presented. For Epson printers, I can recommend using the Roy Harrington Quad-tone RIP, although the Epson 3800 printer does a fine job on its own.