Awesome August 20 by olivetreeann

Awesome August 20

The pressure's on- this is the week I designed around my 30 second challenge. I'd better be quick and I'd better be good! Since I normally play this game indoors and focus on a room, I decided I'd go outside to the garden. Of the 36 photos I shot, this was my favorite. I choose to shoot in black and white today. My natural inclination is usually to shoot the flowers in color, but I do enjoy how black and white forces me to see elements of composition such as the contrast of tones in this photo; particularly on the petals of this "past its prime" Coneflower.
I like the black and white image.
August 20th, 2012  
@mrssmith Thanks Carla! I do like the way it turned out. The Coneflowers really do have such lovely colors, but the black and white seems to fit well with the dying petals of this one.
August 20th, 2012  
Beautiful b&w
August 21st, 2012  
Beautiful and I like it in b&w which sort of surprises me as I also do flowers in color. Great shot.
August 21st, 2012  
It makes a really good picture!
August 21st, 2012  
Great petals!
August 21st, 2012  
Just this ONE photo would have taken me a minimum time of one minute! And then I'd take about twelve more. I've lost the challenge already! lol This is gorgeous and perfect in b/w. Welcome back, friend. Been missing you lots!! :)
August 21st, 2012  
Good B & W. Great detail.
August 21st, 2012  
I love the composition!
August 21st, 2012  
@kerristephens Thank you so much Kerri!
@cdonohoue Thank you Cathy! Give it a try some time- I do find that when I shoot in b/w it actually improves the way I see color shots and vice versa. I like the variety too.
@maggiemae Thanks so much Maggie!
@httpgeffed Thank you Colleen!
@karenann Thank you so much Karenann! Oh- you could do this! Absolutely. It is not a matter of thinking, it's really first choosing the subject (ok, you can think about that for a little while- but sometimes it's best to just pick the first thing you see- no matter what it is!). Then it's a matter of moving the camera around the subject- up, down, sideways, and so on- or moving the subject around and shooting the different angles. It's not really about composition- but more about free-form. The point is that it develops "how you see" not how you take the shot. You could do it, in fact if I were your partner in the "Push Challenge", I'd push you to give it a try. (o: And boy did I miss everyone here! My second day in Boston my friend said, "I had no idea how many pictures you really take!" lol She just didn't understand!
@daisy Thanks Kathryn!!
@groovygirlrn Thank you Sheri!

Thanks everyone- it feels so good to be here again!!
August 21st, 2012  
Great shot!
August 21st, 2012  
Nice one Ann
August 21st, 2012  
Wonderful, it works!
August 21st, 2012  
Very beautiful b&w! I think you made an excellent choice. :-)
August 21st, 2012  
Nobody understands us 365ers, Ann. I don't understand myself sometimes. August is going to be crazy for me ... and it will be hit and miss on here. But, I'll keep doing the best that I can. I'm kind of glad that I didn't do the Push Challenge and have you for my partner ... you KNOW all of my weaknesses. LOL.
August 21st, 2012  
@pjonas Thank you Patty!
@jml0306 Thanks so much Joseph- good to see you again!
@ruthmouch Thanks Ruth!
@vposey Thank you Vickie!

I am slowly (very slowly!) catching up this week- I promise to stop by your projects as time allows and appreciate your patience until I get there!
August 21st, 2012  
Wow, you are so right. The B&W reveals the underlying structure in a very interesting way.
August 21st, 2012  
good choice. i shot some flowers too during the weekend and processed them in camera to b&w. wow! what a perspective, but i'm keeping them for myself :-)
August 21st, 2012  
@karenann We'll be heading out to Michigan for Labor Day Weekend and our son's opening games for the 2012-13 season- just in time for me to get behind on the commenting again. But they don't mind me posting the pictures at least! lol I didn't do the Push Challenge either. I was afraid that whoever I was partnered with might give me a challenge that my camera was not capable of accomplishing. But you underestimate yourself all the time! You are better than you think and you're capable of more than you think!
@allie912 Thanks Allison! I do appreciate your faithful views!
@summerfield Thanks Vikki! I did keep up with your challenge last week, and pretty much took the photos on the required days. I don't want to bombard everyone with all the pictures at once, so I'm spreading them out over the week, so stay tuned! And I hope we do get to see some of those b/w's at some point!

Thank you all! I am slowly (and that is the operative word- slowly!) catching up with everyone's projects. Please forgive me as I sort through the 100's of shots I missed while gone! It's going to take a while.
August 21st, 2012  
love it in b&w!
August 21st, 2012  
Well done Ann.Looks great in b/w
August 21st, 2012  
Great pic in the b&w. Like the crop too.
August 21st, 2012  
Beautiful B&W composition.
August 21st, 2012  
Nice close up! Great detail and textures :)
August 21st, 2012  
Beautiful B&W close-up.
August 21st, 2012  
The textures look great in B&W! Lovely composition, too. 8)
August 21st, 2012  
@dmariewms Thanks Marie!
@bkbinthecity Thanks Brian!
@jesperani Thanks Jennifer!
@salza Thanks Sally!
@alia_801 Thanks Alia!
@sangwann Thanks Dione!
@myautofocuslife Thanks Livia!

I like how this "game" often forces you to move the camera around quickly rather than purposely "setting up the shot". This aspect has often helped me to come up with shots like this where the subject is only partially in the picture adding a nice dynamic to its presentation. Thanks for all the positive reactions to this- I appreciate it and I'm glad you like it! I'm slowly working my way through everyone's projects. It's going to take a while to get caught up!
August 21st, 2012  
I'm always pleased to see flowers in b&w when it's done well, as here. 36 exposures in 30 seconds? That's quite a rate of fire ;-)
August 21st, 2012  
@automaticslim Thanks Andy- yes give or take a few seconds because I lost count- but not all 36 are quality shots! And some were too familiar- I'd done them before or someone else had, so they weren't useful either. But yes, I force myself to look and snap quickly- that's the whole point of the "game".
August 21st, 2012  
Beautiful composition & focus
August 21st, 2012  
@wenbow Thanks Wendy!
August 21st, 2012  
Lyn
Great eye for this!
August 22nd, 2012  
@lyno Thank you Lyn!
August 22nd, 2012  
Excellent b &w capture....love the look!
August 22nd, 2012  
I like the softness in this photo and the black and white looks great!
August 22nd, 2012  
@cimes1 @potsbypam

Thanks ladies! Off and running on another day!
August 22nd, 2012  
Bev
A great shot! And processing in black and white was a fantastic idea. Well done!
August 22nd, 2012  
@prttblues Thank you Bev!
August 22nd, 2012  
Love the tones and textures.
August 28th, 2012  
@la_photographic Thank you Laura!
August 28th, 2012  
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