Tag Archives: Monochrome

Black And White Photography, Landscape, Marsh, Monochrome, OM System, What I Saw

Black And White Dirt Roads

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Take out color and the photograph becomes completely different. And a lot of fun too.

I do think it’s important to like post processing (developing) your photographs though. Just shooting monochrome helps me get started, seeing the image, but that creates flat jpg’s I feel.

Black And White Dirt Roads
Black And White Dirt Roads

Both photographs here were finished using a combination of Lightroom and DxO Silver Efex.  Cropping and basic adjustments were first done in Lightroom. The images are completed in Silver Efex. Currently I use version 8 of Silver Efex, I will update to 9 soon. I like to wait a little while in case there are issues with the initial release. The last several versions have added many advanced editing features, the new one includes filters. If I just shot B&W and was new to editing a much simpler editing software, not Adobe would probably work just fine.

Black And White Dirt Roads
Black And White Dirt Roads

ACE Basin, South Carolina.

Black And White Photography, Landscape, Marsh, Monochrome, OM System, Swamp, What I Saw, Wildlife

Ghost Forest – Wood Stork

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When forest wetlands, or swamp trees, suddenly die off what’s left are the bones of a ‘Ghost Forest’.

It’s a haunting scene  that can be acres and acres of bones stretching to the sky. The usual culprit is salt water.

Under ground aquifers can be miles long, connected to other aquifers, and slowly be drained empty. There are two main reasons they empty, over development and now Data Centers. Both use a tremendous amount of water.

Those empty pockets can be filled by creeping salt water from rising tides, like here in the Lowcountry. Water seeks the lowest spot, and goes where it wants.

Below is a Stork high up in the bones of a Ghost Forest. Salt from the St. Helena Sound, ACE Basin slipped in here. This was a healthy swamp 5 years go. There are plenty of other places just like this.

Ghost Forest - Wood Stork
Ghost Forest – Wood Stork

Best viewed large.

Black And White Photography, Cemetery, Charleston, Historical, Landscape, Monochrome, OM System

A Crowded Spot

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When I shot this it was a quick photo in passing. I was out with family and just a little walk through St. Philip’s (1723) since they are from out of town and it’s a special place.

Later on I looked a little closer. These stones are almost stacked on top of each other. This is in the ‘west’ graveyard, the church has two.

Most of the stones date from the 1760’s. View the image large for details.

A Crowded Spot
A Crowded Spot

The idea of two graveyards was to have the main yard around the church for Charleston residents only. The west site was for ‘lesser’ individuals. That’s funny since on the west side you find John Calhoun, 7th Vice President of the US. He is not considered ‘enough’ for the main site LOL. (he really was a pretty bad human)

Black And White Photography, Cemetery, Charleston, Historical, Landscape, Monochrome, OM System

New England Stones

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These are old stones in Charleston. They sit behind the big churches and date back before the US revolution away from England.

Some of the dates were gone, the bottom of the stones buried deeper into the earth. I did see 1743 on one.

Charleston was becoming very wealthy in the mid 1700’s. But it was still a southern city surrounded by swamps, marshes, and Alligators.

The people below were wealthy and imported their stone markers. The stone carvers with skill were all in New England.

They all have the same general look so are easy to identify.

New England Stones
New England Stones
New England Stones
New England Stones
New England Stones
New England Stones
New England Stones
New England Stones
Alligator, Black And White Photography, Charleston, Monochrome, OM System, Swamp, Wildlife

Stealth

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Things that make up a swamp, all here.

Here we have the heavy trunk of a Cypress Tree, in the thick swamp water. Spanish Moss is flowing from above. And last the iconic shape of an Alligator.

Stealth
Stealth

Photograph taken using OM-1 mk2, OM 100-400 II. Developed with ON1, DxO Silver Efex.

Black And White Photography, Cemetery, Charleston, Historical, Landscape, Monochrome, What I Saw

1795 – Richard Hutson

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Richard Hutson – Founding Father USA

  • Graduated Princeton University 1765
  • Founder College Of Charleston
  • SC General Assembly 1776-1790
  • Imprisoned By British – Revolutionary War
  • Member Continental Congress
  • Signor US Articles Of Confederation
  • Lt. Governor 1782-1783
  • Mayor Of Charleston 1783
  • Senior Justice Court Of Chancery 1791-1794
1795 - Richard Hutson
1795 – Richard Hutson

I don’t even know what some of those things are! Many of these roles required him to be in different places, all the time. And… he had to ride a horse there.