Monochrome In The Morning

It Is Always the Best Breakfast, To Begin A New Day

“Ornaments and Iron Bars” — Image by Author

Pure black and white has gripped my consciousness. Eliminating the glow of warm tones, has returned me to the basics. And in some ways has pulled the stool out from under me. This is not a bad thing.

In fact I can’t help but think of this as a positive. It is easy to settle into ruts. Easily repeatable habits and behaviors. Remove the habits, and a new world opens up. Stark as it may seem, and feel, it’s healthy. Even for us old-timers.

“Spiraling Palm Hairs” — Image by Author

I have recently begun to edit new images in several ways, for each new image that warrants editing. Not all do. Then new questions arise. These questions make our day to day practice more engaging. The rote responses drop away.

So many images look stunning in saturated color. But do they tell the story we want to tell? Certainly some do. Others, not so much. After so many years behind the camera, it is easy to fall into ruts.

That’s when I begin to ask myself, “How many times have I done this before?” If the answer is more than a handful of times, it is obviously time to move on, and try something new.