Black & White Thread Volume VI
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From the Black and White Thread Volume V The Arrow of Time pointed inevitably to Volume VI. Post number 100 is What Remains To Be Seen on Volume V by Keelin. Quite applicable I think. She wrote: “the great wind eraser made a pass at a lingering contrail”. This description I like so much that I want to quote Keelin with it at the start of Volume VI. Look it up, and see yourself what view on the sky the great wind eraser delivered and …. scrolling through Volume V you will find more astonishing pictures by Michael (look for July 11!), Keelin, me and an occasional picture by Felicity. Whoever reads this: feel free to contribute to Volume VI!
Accumulation Of Black And White
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Last weekend I surfed a bit through the pictures of the gallery until I found a great black and white picture of member Stephen J. Gledhill. He has a website and turns out to be a photographer for a long time. On his website I read that he started with only black and whites and after doing that for a long time he just turned to colors since he went digital. Diving into his gallery is really worthwhile doing! This is the link to a page on his site with some of his black and whites.
On this page he states that giving these black and whites a meaningful name is “nigh on impossible”. Well, I watch The Crying Saint from Michael and Michael proofs differently, like we all do on this thread. I am curious whether Stephen would be interested in this thread and read this. In that case I would like to know his thoughts about this.
And a little rain, never hurt no one
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Oh Michael, The Crying Saint (Vincent of Saragossa, patron of winemakers?), so beautifully heart-wrenching and haunting, would be more than welcome here in Napa Valley — and anywhere in northern California, for that matter. Aeolus whistles and sparks fly, billowing clouds of smoke turning the light surreal. Our hearts go out to the fearless firefighters and to those who’s tears fall soundlessly upon ashes of their former homes. What we really need more than bushels of grapes at this moment are great big Buckets of Rain.
And Hans, your image reminds me of gentle rains and also of an eyelid at rest, long lashes settling down, awaiting the start of a luscious dream. Also, thank you for the link to Gledhill’s website. There are some fabulous images there. I do think he’d feel at home here and hope he sees your mention and joins our escapades.
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The act of photographing ,captures a moment,freezes the instant to a framed existence,leaving an assumption that it has to labeled, identified, to help connect or maybe just the opposite. I like to clear my mind and let a title pop into my brain, rather than go after it.And if that is too difficult or beyond the moments’ ability, a date or some such nomenclature is easily applied. So, titles shouldn’t be taken too serious, imho. The clouds are free, only constrained by the physics of the fleeting moment,so should the connection any have with a photo of one…imho.
Keelin I am heart broken to see the wild fires ravaging North and South California. Smoke made it into the valley here carried by the winds spreading the fires across your state. May the rains obey the summons.
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What you both wrote about the fires in Northern California hit me. Unfortunately on this side of the ocean I was not aware of this disaster and what you both wrote woke me up with a shock.
I wish I could send some water loaded cumuli from over here, but that’s only possible in black and white and bits and bytes. Nevertheless I hope the blessing of the wanted rain will reach the area soon! -
Thank you both for caring words. The beautiful cloud images here — “in black and white and bits and bytes”, along with the ever-expanding CAS gallery — do much to soothe the soul.
And you are so right, Michael, about the frozen, framing moments. I agree that titles need not be attached to make those experiences complete or memorable. That said, there are times when my dreamer’s mind can’t resist the invitation to forage for some type of association, be it via pareidolia or simple wordplay. And when a title pops into place, in addition to that added moment of delight, I find it much easier to recall the image and the emotion that was effortlessly evoked by the initial experience. Labeled or not, though, I must say your images, and Hans’s as well, have a way of taking root in both pleasurable and amusing ways, and never require much prompting to recall.
Window of Opportunity -
I didn’t expect to trigger such lovely eloquent texts about the naming of pictures. I agree with all of it and indeed let’s not take it too seriously. Unfortunately I did not succeed to lure J. Gledhill into this thread (so far..?).
No Name
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It’s astonishing how Train Wreck at 30,000 Feet and Crossing (both so beautiful!) look as if they could be from the same time and place. Of course, they are from the same SKY — we have only the one, don’t we? And yet so many options for where to focus, the chosen direction making all the difference.
Shoulda Woulda Coulda -
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Tell Tchaikovsky The News is categorically classic, Michael — whereas your title is pure pop! Or I’m guessing from what you’ve written earlier, it went pOp! when it came to mind. Makes me smile to imagine how that must have felt.
And isn’t it sweet to catch even a hint of Asperitas? Hans, your image has the same fascinating perspective of those split camera captures where one can see creatures of the sea below as well as clouds in the sky above.
Here’s one with also maybe just a hint of Asperitas along the left shoreline of a dark sky inlet.
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Danke je, Hans, so glad you too enjoy this playful aspect of our sharing here. Can’t help but feel inspired by you and Michael, both visually and in ways that prompt this aging brain to see and think anew.
The Right Of Spring is timeless! However, the ritual of spring cleaning will have to wait for the proper season. In the meantime, I suppose we can expect to see a recurring, and possibly frequent, Invasion Of The Dust Bunnies.
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I knew of Vivaldi, but only recently discovered Tchaikovsky also wrote a seasonal composition
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Keelin, the inspiration you feel is mutual for sure and never ending. Our grey cells will not have any chance for aging this way. We won’t let them!
Now the Dust Bunnies make their unexpected entry (great light-play in that one, it makes me feel sunny!) and whoever could predict the arrival of the Red Priest out of that strange and duasty country. Ever bin there?
And …. again I will lack for two weeks our daily black and white vitamins. Unfortunately I would say, but the bright side is that I will have my head in the clouds to capture new material.
The Dust Blows Forward
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Well, I actually googled Duast Bunnei before I realized it was but a country in Michael’s mind and enjoyed a good giggle at the excellent wordplay (and my gullibility!). Following that, more oohs and awes while taking in those essential vitamins of which Hans speaks. And Hans, may friendly figurals follow wherever you go in the coming weeks. I send this one now to keep a special eye on you!
Friendly Figural #4 -
K, Vivaldi was known as The Red Priest ,color of hair, and i couldn’t help myself from further tying yours and hygges posts together..Oh that Imagination!
Across The Sky
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Wow, looking into this thread after just a bit more than a week is a like digging in a treasury box. I agree with Keelin, Michael, you have your ways with the greys. Every Now And Then you take Antecedents To The Edge while the next day Waking Up Breathing in the morning to watch at the end of the day this Amazing Lennie Sunset. It is a true Waterfall of beautiful abstracts of which To The Edge is really to the edge. Very delicate also.
Thank you Keelin for your Friendly Figural #4 to watch over me. Heartwarming! An intriguing figure and great composition. The contrast works well in your Thornbird, I tried the contrast as well in this….
Cloudy Basket
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Oh those luscious greys! It looks like you’ve managed to capture the full range there, Hans. And I can’t help but see in Strangeness someone familiar from my own archives (though you might need to don pareidolia glasses for the image below). He looks to have ventured far beyond Michael’s serene and gentle Knoll to more extreme northern climes. And could it be he is wearing an eyepatch? Surely this fellow has tales to tell.
Arctic Explorer-
Another Arctic Explorer, Keelin (a travel ad with the odd cloud)
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Well indeed, Michael! I’m enjoying the illusion of that ess “shadow” below the main horizontal cloud. Some kind of magic happening there. And Mondrian would be proud of that lovely “mess”, Hans!
Seems as explorers, we are more than willing to sail our eyes in any and every direction that tickles our aesthetic senses.
Just beyond his reach
Brighter than a golden sun
Oh! The Fleece! The Fleece!Jason’s Dream -
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Congratulations, Micheal and Hans! Your back-to-back beauties for June and July contribute nicely to CAS’s 2018 calendar. And I see Michael’s gorgeous Cumulonimbus praecipitatio on the Gallery this morning. What a bright start to the day.
And watch out, Hans… someone appears to be playing peek-a-boo with your impressive Captain Hook!
Tick Tock… -
Thanks Keelin and Hans!..2018 just arrived and Im happy to be included in CAS tribute to it. We’ve got good company there Hans and Keelin..time to get some color in the camera and go for it! Im cheating tho. I already have 3 shots Im holding off for 2019 consideration. Nov 4 was a banner day. Over 400 shots! Have processed only a few but they are keepers.
Heres a Cloudscape from a while ago.
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We got good company for sure, Michael. That makes it special. I remember that it was difficult to choose from a lot of shots I had taken on that occasion. Later I discovered Ian did not like any enhancement getting it on the gallery. Always a difficult matter in the case of iridescence. It is easy to exaggerate. The one on the calendar has no enhancement though, but when I give it some extra contrast, the result is even more striking. I will post an example of another one on the Not B&W thread one of these days.
You make us curious about the ones you are holding off for 2019.
The Captain went looking inquisitively, Keelin and then another character appeared.
Davy Jones
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Thanks Michael. You once wrote you are looking for layers. I try too, but good examples are not easy to spot. That makes it feel good to catch one. Bas Relief is also one. Surreal indeed.
Certainly surreal knowing that the texture of Keelin revealed the anteater that might have caused the scratches in the sky seaching for ants. Great texture too, Keelin!
Distant Bird Lost In A Silky Texture
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Beautiful layering, you two! When I took the shot below, I wasn’t thinking such things. In fact, I’m not quite sure what it was that inspired. But once home, and remembering Michael’s playfulness with images, I took a look at the negative version and like it very much (reversed image to follow).
Dimensions -
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Wow, Michael, these are beautiful photos you’ve shared with us. I like the subtle repetition of lines in An Art Deco Cloud Shot. It’s almost as if the cloud lines on the left are having a cloud thought about themselves on the right. The mind (well, mine at least) wants to play there. And Cloud Still Life #2 is just fabulous. So richly textured, wonderful to look at.
The days are definitely getting crisper here, and thanks to sheep who were shorn in Spring, we shall be warm in Winter. I don’t really have sheep, but that doesn’t make me any less grateful for their gift!
Shorn ‘nuff -
Thank you Keelin about the dragonfly. It was a striking figure and I had to park the car on a good spot to take some pictures.
Art Deco and Cloud Still Life are sublime Michael. Sharp and crystal clear textures.
And Shorn ’nuff is just as sublime, the picture and the wordplay as well, Keelin.
You both leave you personal
Fingerprints
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I like that approach Michael. Very nice. I checked my archive, but the examples I found are all given extra accent to emphasize the abnormality. Here is one the other way around. I suppose nobody saw something special in this sky covering grey stratocumulus that is so often seen here. But with some enhancements one could have been worried about what fate was hanging overhead.
It Is Coming
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Wow, Michael what an amazing display of virga. This should be on the gallery imho. Nature on its impressionistic best. Whether it is in color or in b&w this is a fantastic picture because of composition and because of what you spotted. Cloud of the Month as far as I am concerned. I am curious what you think about my suggestion.
Next one is abstract and not fit for he gallery at all
No Way
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Thank you Hans for your kind words. Another shot from that same shoot is already in the gallery; the one of virga with a tree at the park. I’ll go back and check for a color version. I should have one or two. It was an extraordinary shoot where if you took a shot in one direction you had to hurry not to miss another worthy shot in the opposite direction. We don’t get a whole lot of cloud but when we do , its fast and furious. That shoot was no exception.
Nice work above. Like the abstract!
Heres another Virga from the same shoot.
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I agree wholeheartedly with Hans. Virga Weave is truly extraordinary, Michael! I hope we find it included in the CAS calendar 2019. And just now I see you’ve posted another Virga beauty! The sky that day must have had your whirling. Hoping to see more of these fantastic images you’ve captured.
And No Way is in no way less captivating, Hans. The simple beauty of it is relaxing to the eye and is evidence that you know where to look in a sky filled with possibilities. And how did you find such perfect compliment to the shearing series? Before and After tells the whole story and brings with it an astonished smile.
I’ll need to do some serious spelunking for something worthy to offer here. I did come across an image that resembles the proverbial Missing Sock, but put it back in the drawer for now.
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Quite a series of virga Michael. I found the one on the gallery posted in june 2017. For some reason is Virga Weave my favorite, but all of them have the same impressionistic quality for me. Fantastic.
Keelin, you made me curious about your found Missing Sock when Spelunking. Quite a mysterious cave you found. Lovely.
You asked about About Before And After and I know there was just an hour time between I captured them maybe (?) making a sort of subconscious connection, but not knowing or even thinking about a sheeptheme yet. The first title I had in mind for Before was Backbone, but when you came up with Shorn ‘nuff and the Basket it just fell together. So funny your Shorn ‘nuff and then what it can trigger afterwards.
The virga made me spelunking too and dug up this rather different one.
Are The Aliens Coming Or Going?
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Leaping Into Volume VI
Window of Opportunity
Shoulda Woulda Coulda
Overtones
Friendly Figural #4
Thornbird
Winter Migration
Arctic Explorer
Jason’s Dream
Tick Tock…
Dimensions
Fresh Frozen
Layered Cloud Serving with Asperitas
Shorn ‘nuff
Anything But Natural.
Landscape of Forgotten Greys
Let’s Make Pizza!
Spelunking
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