Elizabeth S. Craig pointed out that I'd failed to mention my roller coaster addiction. How could I forget?
Several commented on my photography, in particular the black & white. I started taking photos when I was 12 and learned to do B&W photography in high school through classes and the yearbook staff. I loved working in the darkroom and trying new tricks.
I acquired a Nikon 8008 in 1990 and purchased a friend's old B&W enlarger. I started selling stock photos the following year to places such as Cat Fancy and Homes Illustrated. I then moved into wedding and on-site portrait photography.
These days, I just shoot for fun. But my passion is still B&W, as I tend to see the world in shapes and textures over colors. I thought I would share some of those images with you.
A few are from my print days and were scanned into the computer:
(A hand-held, 15 second exposure taken from the top of the rotating Space Needle)
The rest were all taken digitally, including a couple with just a point and shoot:
And where did my love of photography and B&W come from? My father. He could take amazing photos and just by guesstimating the exposure. (He had no light meter.) He took hundreds of shots when he went hiking in the Rockies, including this one:
Did someone inspire one of your hobbies or passions?
54 comments:
Wonderful. I love black and white shots, but I always shoot color. This are brilliant. I pinned a few of them.
I love these pictures! Black and white somehow brings so much atmosphere to a photo.
Nice shots
Awesome pictures. You're so talented. I bet your color photos are amazing too.
I love photography—especially black and white.Your pictures are beautiful.
Love these pics. Especially the creepy house.
Rhonda, thank you.
Karen, that was Calvin in one of her photographic moments.
I love photography and try my hand at it all the time, but I'm not as talented as you. I wish I knew how to work in a darkroom. Your photography is amazing!
Absolutely fabulous photos! My dad was an amateur photographer too and had a darkroom. I have only a few of his pictures. A couple are from the 1940s. I think between him and my mother's artistic talent I inherited a fairly good eye for framing shots and, with an aged point and shoot Canon digital, have taken some amazing pictures that have surprised me.
I'm in love with your black and whites! Thanks so much for showing them to us today. I pinned several and I hope you don't mind if I post your alligator on my Alligators Overhead page. It's a beauty.
Your photography is amazing! I used to take more pictures but I was never all that good at it, but the best ones were always when I just took a walk somewhere and took some nature shots.
I enjoyed your pictures. Love the katydid shell. I need better macro to take some of the close ups I like. I've used BW and Sepia. I like both for different reasons.
I've always enjoyed photography. Kinda gotten out of the habit of late altho I do take quick snaps now and then. Something I'll be getting back to this year--camera walks.
Sia McKye Over Coffee
Those are cool. Dig the one of Seattle.
Beautiful! The pattern on the gator (or croc) is so gorgeous! Oh, and the kitty with his face in the birdie - hah I just got it! Adorable.
My love of art was inspired by my mom. She was an amazing artist.
Those are great pictures. My older sister is amazing with knitting or crocheting and I took it up because of that though I'm no where near as good as she is. One of my other sisters and I share a passion for jigsaw puzzles and each year on our birthdays we try to find one that the other one can't put together.
I love every single one of those! Especially the old house. I have a fascination with abandoned old houses. I wonder about the people who used to call these empty shells "home."
Hi Diane - the shots are amazing ... I love the bug and the horses with their ethereal filtering ... but black and white images are so effective .. cheers Hilary
I started picking out the ones I liked and then I just had to give in. I love them all.
You are truly an artist with the camera. I love black and white shots as well. My favorites above are the city scape and the horses. Thank you for sharing your addiction with us. I hope you'll continue showcasing more of your black and white photos on your blog!
Nice photos, especially the beautiful horse one! Black and white are very artful, but I prefer to work with color. So glad you continued with your photos after your high school days!
Love black & whites too! There's something so powerful about the images! Beautiful shots :)
I guess the blogosphere knows more about you than you do :).
Lovely photos. You're really good!
Blogger ate my comment...
I said something along the lines of being super impressed by your talent at capturing those black and whites. So gorgeous!
Your photographs are amazing. I'd like to explore photography. Of course, I'd first have to get a real camera, not just use my phone.
Hi Diane,
Black and white captures a stark ambience that can have quite the impact. I can see that your father inspired your love for photography.
Gary
Wow, amazing. You really have an eye. I'm terrible at photography.
Oh my gosh! These are excellent. They inspire me to dig deeper with my photography and start doing the light metering and learning my flash!
These are so good. I don't know which is my favorite - all of them!
My mother inspired my love of cooking. She could make anything, and she could turn leftovers into an entirely new meal.
You have a poetic eye! I love black n' white-the mood is elevated when color isn't the focal point! My father too was into photography. He use to develop his own photos~
Thank you! You inspire me-I haven't blogged since losing my 4 legged best friend after New Years. Yes, my beagle who has been in many photos on my blog. He had cancer and Cushing's disease~
You are so talented!!! @>--------------------
Wow, your black and white photos are all so artistic! I especially love the one taken from the Space Needle
It's amazing how many authors Iknow who are also photographers. I guess talent doesn't necessarily have to specialize--especially when one liitle bod posesses so much of it! Maybe one day we can collaborate on a poetry book, Diane.
Wow, those ARE amazing pics!! I'm gonna have to snag your camera!!
Diane, the pictures are great. I'll have to share them with my hubby, as he enjoys taking pictures.
Such great pictures! My husband is a professional photographer, and he recently bought a black and while film camera. It's from like, 1975 or something. Very cool!
The photos are amazing. I believe B&W produces more eye for detail as we aren't "wowed" by the colors. The contrasts in B&W are amazing.
B&W photos are my favourite! I follow some amazing professional B&W photographers on facebook and are constantly amazed at their creativity. Love the shot from the Space Needle and also the cat and the shuttle. Fantastic! I wonder, have you sold many stock photos?
Happy New Year L Diane!
Denise :-)
Amazing photos. There's just something about black and white photos that quickly draws you in.
Wow, you have an eye! Really lovely.
The B&W pics are something else...
I need to be a better photographer. Need to capture those moments before they slip away. Excellent photos! I could frame and hang some of those in my house. :)
I used to have an Ansel Adams. Loved that picture of a tree on a hill. I dropped by camera years ago and cracked it. So now I use my outdated S2 cell phone for pics.
I dabbled in photography at one time but never got into shooting B&W. Yours are wonderful.
Now, sadly, most of my pictures are grabbed on the run with my phone. (But no selfies!)
Those are fantastic. I envy your eye for the shot. You know I love taking photos. It's something I do for fun.
You have a sharp eye and raw talent. I love all these images, especially the cat hiding (?!) from the camera. Cute.
Nice work. I really like black and white photography and films. That old boarded up structure is especially cool. My attempts at photography never seem very artistic, but I rarely take pictures either so I guess I haven't developed any style.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Wow! Beautiful work!
Wow! Amazing photographs! The kitty with its face in the shuttlecock was so adorable, and I love the picture with the dinosaur.
In a word: O U T S T A N D I N G! You, dear Diane have an excellent eye.
B&W pics always say two things to me (not necessarily at the same time): old and classy. Old because there was a time when color wasn't an option. And classy because it just IS. Classier, that is.
Those are all great pictures! I like the one with the cat's head stuck in the birdie.
Amazing photos. They are so brilliantly done.
I love B&W photos and those are gorgeous.
I love photography but haven't had a chance to do much lately due to my writing. So of course I have lots of heroines who love photography instead. lol
Now that I have a cat, I need to do some B&W photos of her. :)
I really love your photograph. There's just something about black and white images that brings a different feeling than color images. Maybe it's because my mind is allowed to play guessing games at what the colors could be. Nice.
you never cease to amaze me! another talent for b&w photos! my faves are the view from the space needle & the old bldg. the croc was startling! excellent!
These are all beautiful. Of course, the picture of the cat is my favorite ;-) Have a lovely Thursday.
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