Category Archives: Black and White

Birds, Black and White, Egret, Monochrome, Swamp, Wildlife

Monochrome Egret

April 8, 2023 Ted Jennings - TPJ Photography 2 Comments

I wanted to publish something from the swamp. The last few posts were from marshes and I like to mix the environments on any given day.

I also wanted something different. A quick way for me is to press the ‘V’ key in Lightroom to get an idea of how certain images might look with no color. Selecting these were easy, they had almost none to begin with.

This Great Egret was flying by against a bright sky. Both they sky and bird were almost all white.

To start I first ran all three photographs through Topaz DeNoise AI. Noise can show up so a quick cleanup wouldn’t hurt anything. Finally I used Silver Efex my usual monochrome software. Nothing exotic, most B&W photographers use the system.

In hindsight I could have cropped the shots close, the detail is there if you view them large. It never occurred to me 😁

Birds, Black and White, Egret, Landscape, Swamp, Wildlife

Dark Morning Egret

April 8, 2023 Ted Jennings - TPJ Photography Leave a comment

I should have titled this ‘working with what you’ve got’ 😁.

Actually it came out better than I expected.

Black and White, Cemetery, Charleston, Historical, Landscape, Monochrome

(Clan) Johnston – Nunquam Non Paratus

April 2, 2023 Ted Jennings - TPJ Photography Leave a comment

Found on a walk, a raised burial site with an interesting design. Being in Charleston I assumed a decorative design for a confederate cavalry officer.

However, I checked because of the Latin inscription.

So…

The name has been shortened to be more plain English, a common practice.

However the Latin translates to ‘Never Unprepared’. Part of the coat of arms of the Scottish Clan of Johnstone dating to 1194. The carving is the clans coat of arms.

This is in Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston. I have a book detailing much of the property but find no additional information.

Always something new to find around here.

Black and White, Cemetery, Charleston, Historical, Landscape, Monochrome

Found On A Walk, Charleston Cemetery

March 29, 2023 Ted Jennings - TPJ Photography Leave a comment

The other morning while out we stopped at an old cemetery.

We were not there long however I decided to capture a few closer views than I normally would.

An old mausoleum columns and carvings, in black and white.

Charleston, South Carolina.

Birds, Black and White, Charleston, Heron, Monochrome, Swamp, Wildlife

Great Blue Heron, Morning Silhouette

March 24, 2023 Ted Jennings - TPJ Photography 4 Comments

I shot this leaning against a big Cypress Tree to hold the lens steady. It was too early but I wanted to squeeze out light for the shot.

No light, so I went the exact opposite when finishing the shot.

Birds, Black and White, Egret, Monochrome, Swamp

Great Egret, Monochrome

March 21, 2023 Ted Jennings - TPJ Photography 3 Comments

Lately I’ve been trying various photo software combinations. The Egret here was completely finished using DxO SilverEfex. Nothing revolutionary here, I think the majority of B&W photographers use SilverEfex.

It seems there are some known issues with Windows 11 and Lightroom Classic. Speed and image stability the main problem.

After finding out it wasn’t just me, and I had done all the things I could do to compensate, it makes sense to review what systems I use and how I use them. Having an IT background doesn’t make it any less painful though.

Black and White, Charleston, Historical, Landscape, Monochrome, Swamp, What I Saw

Swamp, Dark, Damp Morning

March 20, 2023 Ted Jennings - TPJ Photography Leave a comment

A month ago this was jammed full of reeds and thick cattails. This swamp was losing what it had been for hundreds of years. An old pipe that helped move water finally clogged, it was plantation era though.

At what I’m sure was a significant cost a dredging project cleared the vegetation and returned this swamp to where it could again support water flow and wildlife.

The land is part of the old Magnolia Plantation properties and still family owned. Plantation grounds, further down a dirt road is open to the public. The swamp is not as big a tourist attraction, but this location was once a large rookery. Photographers are around here of course.

The land is referred to as the ‘Audubon’ swamp, and for a good reason. John J. Audubon was related to the family and visited this swamp, filled with Great Egrets, multiple times.

I walked a back trail here the other morning hoping to get some bright sun rise reflections on the newly open areas. These photos show how not so bright the morning was.

Even in the dull light this is still an incredible place to visit. It was empty except for me and few over head birds from another rookery down the road.