It Doesn't Matter if You're Black or White

I've always been a great fan of black and white photos. I think they add character to an ordinary picture....they focus on the story behind a picture rather than a color quality.

This picture was taking of the tornado clouds moving over Conway (the same clouds that dropped a tornado in Clinton). In color...the focus was on the lush green grass a beautifully flowered tree on the right. When I changed it to black and white, attention is drawn to the swirling clouds and reflecting street --this focuses on the points of the picture the story compares to.

I've become interested in another aspect of black and white photography....restoration. Check these pictures out:

The picture of the right is actually one of my Christmas gifts this year. It's a picture of me and my daddy, hand-in-hand, looking off into the deer woods. We had on our bright orange vests and camo. By taking this picture to black and white, she captured the moment a father shared with his daughter -- and the relationship. This picture was taken circa 1990 so not too much restoration was needed. she just altered the quality and contrast and blew it up to a 5X7

The picture on the left is my pride and joy. While my parents were moving I volunteered to help them go through old keepsakes. My dad found an old box. In the box every payment receipt he got from paying off my mother's engagement ring -- along with two pictures of my mom. One picture was his "favorite" picture of my mother--and let me tell you, she looked like a model -- the other picture was the one you see above. It was taken the day after my dad proposed (you can't see the engagement ring but its totally there). It is was a 4X5 photograph in that hazy 70s color (this picture was taken in 1973).

I took it down to Walgreens, changed it to black and white, added contrast enhancements, blew it up to an 8X10 (in this step I also cropped it) and...TADA!!!!!

Doesn't the picture look much more modern?? Seriously...how gorgeous is my mom? What do you think about the idea of black and white restoration?

Peace & Love, Readers!!