Picture Black and White ~ 6

It's here...

The last installment of Picture Black and White.

This last series of the class dealt with photos that tell stories.

Shoot A Documentary

A documentary shot tells the whole story. You include what's going on around the subject. Kind of the who, what, where, and when of photography. There's a lot going on in this picture. You can tell hot air balloons are being inflated. Notice the girl in the foreground. She has a rope around her waist that it connected to the balloon. She keeps it from raising up before it's fully inflated. You can see people standing and sitting taking in all the activities. I wonder about the little girl standing out there by herself. Is she lost?  Did you notice the family getting their picture made? The couple with the stroller on the right and the man with the camera right in front of the balloon holder.

A Detail Study

Most stories are full of details.  A photo that tells a story will include details that give information about what is happening. The details give the story shape and substance. My grandson loves to help in the kitchen if I remember one detail. He doesn't like the sound of the mixer so he needs his "earmupps" (as he calls them). Then he is quite happy to help me bake cookies!  There's other minor details that help tell the story; the mixer, the measuring cups, the recipe, and the cookie sheet. You can also tell he's standing in a chair so he can "be tall."

In Context

I love to take close-up photos, but when I step back and include a large area it gives the photo context; where I was and what I might have been feeling. I took several close-up photos of these beautiful roses winding in and out of the iron fence. Then, I took a couple of steps back and realized how effective the picture would be if I included more of the cemetery. It went from just beautiful roses to roses that someone planted inside this fence as a  memorial to the persons buried there.

Expression

I've already used these pictures when I posted my {in the picture} shots. I took them for this class. We were to capture someone or something as they expressed themselves. Well, no one was here but me!! So, that's what you get, just me wistfully gazing out the window wishing for cooler weather and a little rain.

Then, I held my remote and just sat in my rocking chair making expressive faces. It was really kind of fun.  Just be thankful you didn't have to see the out takes. Some of them were pretty bad!!

A Simple Gesture

Simple gestures can speak volumes even when you use everyday objects. We were to seek out an object and bring it to life. This photo says you can lean of me if your need to. I'll help you if I can. I also included these lyrics.  "Lean on me, when you're not strong and I'll be your friend I'll help you carry on." ~Bill Withers~

I love color, but I now appreciate the work that it takes to create black and white photos. I think they're more dramatic without the distractions of colors. I definitely will be shooting more in black and white!