Slickrock and Shadow

Columns of Buren at Palais Royale, Paris Paris has its' share of world-class icons.  We all know what they are.  A photographer's journey to such a well-known location certainly should include them.  But what else? Fortunately, the famous icons really just scratch the surface of this wonderful city.  The more one looks, the more one finds. One such find is the Columns of Buren.  Buren was an artist who liked graphic lines.  He sometimes put his art in public places without permission.  The Palais Royale gave him permission for this permanent art project many years ago.  He created black and white columns of different heights which completely fill a square within the Palais Royale.  This public art is there to walk around, climb on, jump off or photograph.  Although just one block from the Louvre, the fun public square is mostly undiscovered. In the early evening, I visited here with my family.  The kids had lots of fun ru...

Chairs and Fountain from Palais Royale, Paris Black and white photo processing is still used today and will always be used because there are certain advantages to removing color.  Removing the color from a photograph eliminates color distraction.  For example, in portrait photography the person is the main subject, not their clothing.  Often someone's clothing is a distraction from the person themselves.  It may be bright or have a pattern.  Black and white processing eliminates or minimizes that. When I process a photo, I'm ask myself whether color adds to the photograph or distracts from my message.  Every photograph tells a story.  The story should not have too many loose ends.  It should get to the point without confusion. Tuileries Garden Statue, Paris In these 2 pictures from Paris, I feel that black and white processing helps focus on the actual shape, structure and form of the subject.  In the first picture, it i...