After those monochrome photos, a bit of colour might be a relief. I wandered along the edge of the terrace in front of my place yesterday afternoon, just enjoying the late warmth, the colours, the feel of time circling on itself. Apples ripe on the old tree, wasps and long shadows.All content © 2009 Pete McGregor
Your comment is interesting - yes, a relief for me. I've been thinking of your recent monochrome work and finding it difficult to leave a comment. Maybe it's an age thing - most photography, and all television, was black and white in my young days, and I find that still impacts considerably. I can see the cleverness, the skill, the beauty, but I can't feel any emotional content in monochrome.
ReplyDelete(Another synchronitic word verification : color!)
Well, those leaves have obviously provided a tasty feast for some small creature - a moth caterpillar perhaps?
ReplyDeleteIsn't it interesting that summer often looks best in BW whereas autumn usually feel better in color?
ReplyDeleteRR, that's fascinating. I suppose it works the other way for some people, too: those who've known predominantly the super-saturated modern world might appreciate what to them is the novelty of monochrome? However, given the apparent trends in photography, I suspect they find "realistic" colour unnaturally drab. Animals do seem to respond more strongly to exaggerated stimuli, so there's presumably a biological basis for it. And colour has such strong effects on most people that it'd be hard to imagine that when it's used well it wouldn't have greater emotional effect than B&W. Thanks for pointing that out :^)
ReplyDeleteLesley, I'll check, but I think they're leaf mines, so might be more likely to be fly larvae. It's surprising how little the leaves are damaged; presumably they're well protected from insect herbivores, and the possums seem to prefer next door's roses ;^)
Miguel, I guess I'm not surprised. Autumn seems almost synonymous with particular colours: the word conjures yellows and reds. And, perhaps it's the "coolness" of B&W that appeals during the heat of summer?