Infinite Shades of Grey

Life, like black and white photography, is often many more shades of grey, a mix of shadows and light to varying degrees, then it is simply two colors in a crayon box.  It's rich textures and bold contrast can appear and often are strikingly dramatic.

FDR Park, Philadelphia, PA

Without the distraction of color, you are able to focus the viewer's attention on the details and lead the eye where you most want it to go.

Mt. Rushmore, South Dakota

To see a landscape photo in black and white is like time-traveling.  It offers an antiquated look where the viewer may wonder how near or far into the past they have retreated.

"Lady in Waiting" South Dakota  

                                                                                                                                                                            Textures come alive.

Good to be King

                                               
Light dances and mingles with the shadows.

Monochrome photographs have a classic style, elegance, and strength all its own.  

Is It Real Or Is It Photoshopped?

All throughout history, even before Photoshop (believe it or not), photos have been manipulated. Here is one of the more well-known photos.  (Photo Credit Unknown)

There was a time when many people saw a picture as the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth but, as you can see from this article, it just isn't true.

http://www.fourandsix.com/photo-tampering-history/?currentPage=3

Now that photos are digital and photo editing programs are in high demand, it's easier than ever to make a few adjustments here and a few adjustments there.  By the time a photo is "edited," you may have well over 100 layers as in some modeling pictures, anything from whitening the teeth to downsizing the waist and enhancing the breasts!

This one is for my nieces.  Don't believe the hype, ladies!  No one is born perfect but a few photo editing tricks and anyone can look it.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/time-lapse-video-shows-models-photoshop-transformation-20738180

What's my point in all of this?  Question everything!

Now that we have that out of the way, manipulating photos can be fun and your imagination, not the sky, is the limit.

Make a photo look like a painting.

 

                     Play with framing and layering.

The possibilities are limitless!  Have fun!