monochrome

Today is one of the days where I’m just not feeling it. I’m getting work done, but it has a going-through-the-motions kind of vibe. Still, work is work, and knocking chores off the ‘to do’ list is always a simple way to alleviate the gloom a little.

I thought I’d look at some of the black and white photos I’ve taken. Any picture can be transformed into black and white these days, but I still don’t do it very often. Usually a particular picture seems like it would be more evocative in monochrome, so I try it out and see if it fits.

This photo was the result of a mishap in settings on my camera. The photo looked weird in colour, so I tried it in black and white, and hey presto, it looked well. I’d probably never have tried it as a black and white image if the colour one had come out properly. So, I learned a lesson there.

It was taken on Enniscrone beach in Co. Sligo, a fantastic place to walk and feel inspired. I go there several times a year.

This photo was taken while I was attending the WexWorlds Festival in Wexford in 2010. The day after we arrived our car was covered in a foot of snow, which was completely unexpected for November in Ireland.

It resulted in stunning landscapes, although it made driving or walking about a bit of a scary experience.

Trying this photo in black and white was a no-brainer. It was an incredibly foggy day, and there didn’t seem to be much colour in the world anyway.

As a horror aficionado I love days like that. There is a literal veil around the world, and inside that dense cloud anything could be watching… Of course, it tends to put my imagination into overdrive, but that’s not a bad thing, mostly.

When you are wide awake at 3am, and the house creaks strangely, it can be more of a hindrance…