Tag Archives: black and white

Old Bicycle on the Streets of Milan, Italy

Posted on April 28th, 2014 by

Thinking about Old Bicycles

Bicycles are all over Milan. The tourists never seem to be riding them, but the locals use them to speed past all the transient gawkers that visit their beloved city. I was surprised at all the bikes I saw and by their relatively old ages. I for some reason never took the ultra fashionable Milanese to use this mode of transport. If they did, I feel like any bicycle they SHOULD be riding must be embroidered with the LV logo.

This old bicycle stopped me for two reasons. First, it’s old, secured with an old chain and a much newer lock. The texture of the building and the rusty security gate on the window were the other. Throw in a harsh shadow, the wonderfully textured sidewalk and the simplicity, you have photo magic! Scott Kelby said something recently in a random video (and I am wildly paraphrasing)…if something stops you, there is something there. Work the scene! I have been trying to keep this in mind as I travel all over. I am working on paying attention to things that stop me and asking why. There is beauty all around and sometimes it’s nice to simply pay attention.

Old Bicycle on the Streets of Milan, Italy
Old Bicycle on the Streets of Milan, Italy

Photo Technical Info

Embarcadero Stairs

Posted on April 11th, 2013 by

The Road Ahead

I read a quote recently on the internet that I found uniquely stuck in my head.

The only reason we get stuck in jobs we don’t love is because we choose not to leave.
~Simon Sinek

I belive this extends well past career choices and into almost every facet of life. We tend to externalize our problems, overplay obligations and declare that I can’t because (insert any reason). What occurred to me was the power accepting this notion has as well as the responsibility its acceptance requires. When we realize we are directing this life, it seems all the more important to make it one we want to live. I struggle with choices, but for better or worse they have been and continue to me mine to make.

Stairs

Today’s photo is of the Embarcadero Center Staircase located in Center 2.

HDR Photography
Embarcadero Stairs by W. Brian Duncan

Inside Saint Pierre Cathedral

Posted on March 4th, 2013 by

You Said What…

The Swiss are efficient. They did not appear to enjoy repeating themselves for me, but my French is not the best and sometimes the latitude I was given in Geneva surprised me. I asked the docent of Saint Pierre Cathedral if I could take photos. He said yes. I asked if I could take photos with my tripod…he gave an irritated yes. Not because, I think, he was annoyed at my tripod, but rather because I didn’t take his first yes at face value. I love old churches and Geneva was build around this church. The entire history of the city can be traced in the foundation of this building. It is simple, but it was also the home of John Calvin for a good deal of time. I decided on doing a little something different with the processing. I generally do not like selective color, but I think in this way, it works.

HDR Photography
Inside Saint Pierre Cathedral by W. Brian Duncan

Winged Victory

Posted on December 24th, 2012 by

Dangerous Waters

The Louvre is a sea of people.

I was thinking this as I stood on the platform of the staircase that displays one of the most famous sculptures in the world, Winged Victory. Along with the Venus De Milo, Winged Victory is one of the must see sculptures at the Louvre. It is impossible to see all the the Louvre’s treasures in a day (you actually would need a week or more), but there are highlights your first time through which you don’t want to miss. It’s best to have a plan, and my plan that day was to capture a bracket of Winged Victory with no extra people in shot. This brings me full circle to my ocean of fellow gawkers. In an odd way this struggle made me appreciate the photo more, and the victory of battle at sea.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah Everyone!

HDR Photography
Winged Victory by W. Brian Duncan

Evening at The Louvre

Posted on December 13th, 2012 by

Comic Experiments

In a continuation of my processing experiments I made a little something that ended up making me think of graphic novels. I usually try my best to not have any preconceived set of parameters for my photos, rather I try to let them lead me where they want to go. I have been working on this photo for some time honestly. The coloring really was giving me trouble. This is actually shot at sunset and the sky is a nice blue and purple, but the lights of the palace grounds are in full blaze making a heavy hue of tungsten. I processed the photo twice for each color temperature, but still couldn’t get things feeling right. I ended up trying black and white which I really liked but then started playing with selective color, something I generally dislike. In this particular instance I think it came out very fun!

HDR Photography
Evening at The Louvre by W. Brian Duncan

The Civic Opera House

Posted on November 8th, 2012 by

Performance

I am no stranger to performance. I was never an actor, but I did grow up performing music. Whether piano or voice, I spend a good deal of time onstage as a youngster.

Walking Downtown

I was headed from the Blue line stop toward Millennium Park in Chicago when I saw this lovely building. I stopped to take a few pictures, it serves as the Civic Theater and Opera house, one of the largest in the country. As I moved on I crossed the river. Then I started wondering, Why did I just cross the river? I had been walking the wrong way! I turned around and walked back the way I came, “losing” nearly an hour. Serendipity lead me to this place, and somehow I am most always rewarded for taking the road less traveled. Even when that road seems like a mistake at the time. Besides when you blunder on stage, you just keep going like nothing was ever wrong, and perhaps it never actually was.

HDR Photography
The Civic Opera House by W. Brian Duncan

Crystal Bridges on the Trail

Posted on October 1st, 2012 by

Out Back

One of the fantastic parts of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville Arkansas is the hiking trails around the buildings. Perhaps the greatest treasure of Arkansas is in fact the outdoors. It is also fitting that one of the nations premiere American Art museums should devote such a grand “space” to nature itself. You can’t help but feel like perhaps the greatest exhibit is outside the confines of the walls of Crystal Bridges and rather out in the open air of the Natural State. One early morning Pamela and I hit the trails and took some photos. You can also see my last color shot of the Crystal Bridges Museum here.

Black and White HDR Photography
Crystal Bridges on the Trail by W. Brian Duncan

Somewhere in the Ozark Mountains

Posted on September 13th, 2012 by

Heritage

I often prefer the big city, the ancient structure, the regal palace…its easy. Places like Sequoia National Forest or the Eiffel Tower are hard not to love. The most celebrated treasures of the world should be adored, but there are things closer to home, things we see every day which we too often ignore in our hustle and bustle world. The wonders of our own backyards should never be forgotten. I thought of this on a drive home from Eureka Springs Arkansas when I took this photo at a random scenic overlook. The treasure of others sparkle so brightly while we often ignore the glory and beauty of what we ourselves possess. Be thankful for your blessings. Be thankful to be where you are today…tomorrow it maybe gone.

HDR Photography
Somewhere in the Ozark Mountains by W. Brian Duncan

Roses on the Streets of Paris

Posted on August 16th, 2012 by

Les Fleurs

Walking down Rue Cler in Pairs, there are quite a number of shops that have wonderful little surprises sitting on the sidewalk for you to explore. This is one such vendor that had a bucket of roses in a multitude of colors. The funny thing is a really wanted to do this one in black and white despite all the wonderful color. I usually saturate the bee-Jesus out of my photographs, but for some reason I felt like exploring the texture and tones in this photo. I always feel like a need to do more black and white, I just get caught up in my love of color.

Technials

This is a three shot (-2, 0, +2) HDR, combined in Photomatix enhanced in Lightroom. I then exported to Photoshop and use Nik (color efx pro, and silver efx) I then saved and did all the finish work in Lightroom.

HDR Photography
Roses on the Streets of Paris by W. Brian Duncan