The Experts Say . . .

Rock Wall With Flower, Asheville, NC  -  2014

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

I subscribe to several photography blogs through the Feedly news reader to keep up with all the latest news and information. As with much of the internet, the content of these sites varies widely in quality, but the news reader allows me to skim through and quickly cull out most of the weak or uninteresting articles. It's a real time saver.

Last week I read an article about ten things good photographers should never do. One of the ten "no-nos" was doing partial color black and whites (like the photo above). According to this writer, because they are relatively easy to do with modern software, they have become cliche', and so should be avoided at all cost. I had to agree that some people do them too often, and also that many are poorly done.

However, I still find them fun to do, and some photos seem to benefit from the effect. The stones in the wall in this photo had a somewhat yellowish tone, and I couldn't make the colors of the plant "pop" like I envisioned in my mind. I considered that a partial color version might give me what I was looking for, but I hesitated for two reasons. First, because that article was still fresh in my mind. Secondly, I worry about doing this effect too often already, and the article exacerbated my worries about my own photos becoming too cliche'.

My commitment to keeping my photography fun won out, and I did the conversion. And I found I liked this one better than the full color original. So, risking the wrath of the "experts", I'm posting the partial color version. I hope my viewers can forgive me.