Selections from the Archives

I’ve been going through my library of photographs, dating back several years. My primary purpose is to weed out photos I no longer wish to retain, consisting of duplicates, pictures very similar to others and some photos that simply aren’t very good. Despite my efforts, I still have over 25,000 images on file. I seem to be adding new ones more quickly than I delete but at least I’m now eliminating as I go, which helps.

The other thing that happens is that I find good images that I didn’t develop as well as I can now. With the addition of more software and techniques and applying different ideas of how I’d like them to look, I have re-worked a number of files. I’ve been pleased with the outcome and I’ll share a few today and later on.

This first picture was taken in Monument Valley which straddles the Arizona/Utah border. It features the remains of an old Utah Juniper shrub and as a photo subject it has a lot of character. Character is good. I chose to develop this one in black and white. I think it better displays the texture and detail.

My second choice for today is a tree from the southwest, a Mesquite situated in front of our house in Arizona. The photograph was taken in early spring this year, before the tree had leafed out. Again, I’ve chosen to develop this tree in black and white. I like the barren, stark appearance and the look of the sky, better achieved (in my opinion) with a monochromatic image.

For those interested in how these photos were developed, please read on.

Both photographs were taken in colour. Some basic adjustments, primarily luminosity were made using Adobe Lightroom software. The images were then transferred to another application, Nik Silver Efex Pro for conversion to black and white and further adjustment to tonality to achieve the final results.

The header image was taken at the Vermilion Cliffs in northern Arizona.