Thank you to Norma at Emovere and Virginie at Darwin on the Rocks for passing the Five Day Monochrome Photos Challenge on to me. Today I have chosen a photo of a young girl playing in a fountain in Boston.
In choosing which photos to make over into monochrome, I tried to select those which either suggest a story or seem to capture a strong, unique moment. In any event, I hope you enjoy them.
Today I pass the challenge on to a wonderful photographer whose work I have long admired (and emulated as best I can), Pam at PKPhotoOfTheDay.
I would also like to invite you to visit the poetry blog, the Book of Pain. As always, special thanks to my dearest spouse Lyn, who does most of the hard part: the photos selection. Thank you for dropping by the Book of Bokeh.
Photograph and comments ©John Etheridge with all rights reserved; not to be used without the expressed written permission of the copyright owner.
the Book of Bokeh 
This is terrific! I think it is a bummer that we don’t have these fountains here in Denver. When I was in Atlanta for a conference a few years ago, I watched the kiddos play in the fountains. A great image, my friend.
This is a beautiful photo, John! Thank you for inviting me to the challenge. It will be fun :-).
You are so very welcome! I must say that I enjoyed the process and learned much from it. At the start I thought of it as a chore to get done…now I realize that it has opened my eyes to seeing some of the differences between color work and B&W photos. 🙂
This shot is so beautiful! The contrast is amazing.
Thank you! Being as how I think of you as a master of contrast and mood, I take that as an especially dear compliment! 🙂
I take your comment as a compliment! Ha! 🙂
As well you should! 🙂
That’s again a lovely monochrome John. I love the water fountain. Thanks for doing this I’m enjoying these monochromes. 🙂
Norma, it is me that should be thanking you. I would not have done it without your encouragement and I have enjoyed the process and learned a lot while doing it. I have a whole new appreciation for monochrome shots! 🙂
I love monochromes too. They just add depth to a picture and nostalgically teleport you to some past time. 🙂
Nostalgia, yes an important point. Also, I think, in B&W there is at once a sense of unreality (and hence curiosity) with the loss of color and yet also hyper reality in the layering of many tonal shades. It is easier, I think, to guide the eye to the main subject and that’s mostly what photography is, when you get down to it. My next challenge as a photographer is to start portrait taking and I think especially there, B&W will play a big role, because of these effects.
I love this one. You captured a special and fun moment!
I was very lucky on that shot. The kids (there was more than one) were having a ball with that fountain and any shot was about perfect. In the end I think I now like it more in B& than color. 🙂
Another great shot. I love the skin tone, it’s glowing.
Those kids (there were several of them) were having such a ball! It was fun to watch them and I knew that any portrait I could get of them would be good! 🙂 As it turns out, I think I prefer the black and white version over the color…there is more depth in monochrome. 🙂
The picture looks great in b&w, I agree with you 🙂
🙂
This is why I need to see images from you in monochrome!
OK, now you’re flattering me. But don’t stop on my account! 🙂
Actually, I am learning a lot from this exercise and enjoying it more than I thought.
How about you?
I think it has been great. Makes me look at images in a new way. I actually pulled out a few old 1970s from the way back machine.
Thanks again.
THEY HAD PHTOGRAPHY WAY BACK IN THE 70’S?!?!?!
Honestly, you are stronger than me. I have a box of photos from that era and am unwilling and scared to go trough them. It might turn me off photography for 30 years. Again. 🙂
Pluperfection!
Pluthanks! 🙂