A few days ago I published music stand photographs from an old Charleston home. All children in the wealthy families learned instruments. Click here to see the first music stand.
Visiting a different old house I spotted this in the corner of an entrance way.
Again candles provided light to the sheet music.
Both homes were from the early 1800’s owned by Charleston planters and traders.
A small, but important detail.
When shooting in the old manor houses my first thought is to go wide. Get as much in a frame as possible. While it makes for interesting historical images, things can be easily missed.
Like this.
A music stand was next to the old harp. I spotted the iron candle holder. It makes perfect sense, there was no other light to read music by.
It’s so easy not to see the small details.
Charleston, South Carolina.
I have been creating monochrome nature photographs more often. Not wanting plain flat 1950’s ‘developed in the candy store’ looks either I am using more imaging software to get traditional film looks.
No Color Here
No Color Here
This is why I have revisited walking with two cameras.
Salt Marsh, South Carolina.
Two Great Blue Heron shots from a swamp. The first in a monochrome.
Above shot towards the end of the day giving a more softer color. This is one of last years nests waiting for a female to arrive and push the male into fixing things up.
A series of photographs continuing my black and white film filters experiments. I’ll use the term experiment rather than ‘dinking around’ since it sounds so much more professional.
Agfa and Ilford Delta have similar results and I still (almost) remember what I should be getting with my own digital versions.
The images were taken at a Methodist Campground for yearly revival gatherings. Great subjects for B&W.
Note; For a number of years I have used NIK Silver Efex for more detailed B&W conversions. Recently I included DxO Film Pack for conversions. Film Pack is a software designed to convert digital photos to specific film types, Styles of photographs, as well as by years a film was shot. Like Silver Efex you have the ability to create custom film filters, an option that I prefer to use. Both software programs work with Photoshop and Lightroom.
A black and white series shot in the back rooms of a Charleston historical house. A previous series highlighted the kitchen area another home.
Several rooms, possibly for food storage or other necessaries separated the kitchen from the main house.
Like other photographs published of the ‘hidden’ parts of these manors we had to rely on ambient light through open doors or windows.
If you are a fan of shooting or viewing B&W photography locations like this are treasures. With no color the images are all about textures and contrast.
AGFA APX film was the one I shot ‘once upon a time’ and these were created using a digital version and standard dodge and burn. In short, photo fun for nerds.
Charleston, South Carolina.
