For as long as I can remember, I have been a hobby photographer. I've carried a camera with me since I was 15. Sure, that's easier now with Cell Phones, but I often carry my DSLR with me too. I have completed three "Project 365" projects, among various other photography challenges. So when I was making my 2nd 101 in 1001 list I decided to go a little crazy - I listed "30 days of black and white photography" as one of my projects.
The problem is? I didn't anticipate just how hard this project would be.
I was thinking "YAY! Artsy shots!" I love the texture that black and white can provide. I love the emotion it can put into some photographs. But what I didn't anticipate was how difficult it would be for me to snap a photo of my daughter running through a bouncy house and not being able to see the vivid colors of the giant inflatable. Or that I'd use pastels for my latest cross-stitch project and want to ask my friend if the colors looked ok. I didn't know my mom would mail me a beautiful afghan that she'd been making for me - yet I couldn't share the amazing colors.
It was a month of trying new angles because my normal shot didn't look right in black and white. A month of hunting out texture, or the perfect expression.
But it was also a month of playing with my camera in a way that I hadn't in a long time! I'd become complacent with many of my settings, and in black and white? (With my DSLR especially) you just can't do that. You need to make sure the blacks are black and the whites are white.
As I get close to writing my 3rd 101 in 1001 list, I find myself thinking about this project and wondering if I'll do it again. I think I might. Or something similar.
