thursday challenge: black & white
When I was in my second year at the University of Victoria I worked three nights a week (4:00 to midnight) as a cashier at a self-serve gas station. I was also taking a second year photography course and spending a lot of time experimenting in the darkroom (I didn't sleep much in those days). The service part of the station shut down at 5:00 every evening, so I would occasionally spend my first hour at work, if it was quiet, snapping photos of the mechanics at work. Even then I loved more graphic images and, as you can see, would usually print my results on high-contrast paper.The second photo was taken on Fisgard Street, in Canada's oldest Chinatown (Victoria), on a quiet morning before everything opened up.
posted by andrea at 9:35 a.m.
12 Comments:
Such a great photo. You caught his eyes so well, that it makes my want to know his life story. Love his hat and are those wine bottles he is leaning on? Look at his hands...such an interesting photo. Wow, I see your summer post below!
Andrea I linked back to you via Jody's place. Must join you both in photo post!
I have almost become a Tart!
The Tart's follower, since I managed to get a Willie B sketch too!
These are really great. I love the stories you've shared for background on the shots. Thanks.
I like the crisp lines and composition of the second one. And the mechanic... looks as if he is about to tell you something very special. I like the way you caught his hands in the picture, too. These are great.
Regarding darkroom work - I always heard that the red light makes you craaaaazy, but you seem to have come through unscathed :)
Aha another thing we have in common... 1993/4 that I spent in a darkroom!
The guy's skin has good tones despite the high contrast. And I love the tyres up above his head - more than any other detail this brings back that sort of place to me... (we had a big metal cupboard that my father kept the tyres in and as small children we would squeeze inside and rattle around in there... so the smell of new types was quite intense!)
I like how black and white makes me notice different aspects of a picture that might go unnoticed with the "distraction" of color. The street scene, for example, conveys a feeling of stillness and order - the calm before a day begins is enhanced by the orderly vertical lines the black and white facades make. There are so many straight line patterns here - the awning, the sidewalk, the bricks...They become the focal point instead of color. Very nice!
Lyn: Don't know if I can handle more than one Cheap Tart. Maybe you should be a Cheesy Strumpet instead? (just a suggestion...) As for bottles, I like your imagination, but it's only car parts I'm afraid...
Juliet and Nan: Thanks.
Kyknoord: That's what they tell me every morning after they release me from my (padded) cell.
Caroline: Imagine the amazing junk sculpture you could've made if your parents had allowed you to use a welder and/or blow torch?
Carla: Blogger's images suck somewhat. If you see them in Flickr, especially a larger size, they are way more detailed.
there is nothing like black and white photography! you must be so happy that you captured moments in time that you would be hardpressed to recapture now! Amazing the weird jobs we have through our lives that just add to our artwork and life, amazing too how we could go on such little sleep! Now where did those days go? Beautiful pictures Andrea!!!
I love black and white. That top pic especially is so gorgeous. When I was taking portraits, I would often try to convince people to let me shoot Black and White. They were always pleased with the results.
These were great...I liked the lady in the doorway one best.
a.
LOL on the cheesy strumpet... better fit!
Nice! I love black and white.
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