The creativity is just taking a nose dive lately. Maybe I’m a little burnt from trying the every day photo thing. Of course, I don’t have long to go and I’ll keep it up but it’s wearing a little. It’s not that I’m not seeing potential photos, I do, but I’m not being able to take any. I often see great photo ops while I’m driving down an interstate and obviously can’t slam on my brakes…”well you see officer, the lighting was just right on that barn…”. Or I just can’t get to where I want, be it private property, a fenced in industrial complex, or over a cliff. I push myself to get photos at times but I’m not crazy.
So, for lack of a better shot, My photo today is, again, some fall foliage. This time in all of its monochrome splendor! After doing some work today I swung through the park hoping I could get some slow exposure shots of blowing leaves but just as I set up the sun came breaking through the clouds and it was just too bright for such a shot. Where’s that 10-stop ND filter when you need one….oh yeah, I don’t have one. Anyhow, I took a few straight normal photos but in color they just looked dull and… well, “normal”, so I had to think of something different. As regular readers know, I’ve been experimenting with some alternative monochrome conversions and they seem to work best with nature photos. So, without further ado, trees. Pentax K20D, DA17-70.
Click on pic for larger view
Mono Autumn
© David Guidas
What I Pic 
Well you only have two and a half months left. You could try some things that would shorten your daily commitment. For example, don’t post-process anything. You could try doing monochrome straight in the camera, or else, limit your post processing to a default setting. I have at times just run some images through silver efex using wet rocks and no specific processing other than that. Or, you could try a weekly study. Pick a processing technique and explore your usual photos using just that one technique for the whole week.
I am impressed that you are still able to do this every day of the week. I know I wouldn’t be able to do it. My brother has tried doing this multiple times and only makes it a few months. That is the reason we are doing a weekly theme instead of a daily challenge and it is about all I can handle. Typically I just get my shots in on the weekend when I have time to process and post them. Anyways, keep up the good work and hopefully some inspiration comes your way soon.
Your impressed? I’m impressed. I’m usually a start but don’t finish kind of person. So this is a personal challenge also. At first the idea of a 365 seemed like fun and I was laid off from work so I had time but my time is limited now. The processing part I don’t mind, in fact I enjoy it. Sometimes I use OOC jpgs or run through a Nik preset and I like it that an image stands on its own. Other times I dig deeper in procesing to see what I can create. Sticking with a theme, for me at least, would add too much pressure and constraint on top of having to get a photo. I like working “freestyle”, not knowing what type of shot I’ll take and how it will look when finished.
At first I kind of liked this, but the more I look at it, the more it starts to look like white noise. I think this one might have done better as color, possibly with minimal saturation to get a similar tonal effect, but still allowing color differences to break up the homogenous texture that seems to overwhelm the photo as it is.
Well your first mistake was looking at it more 😉 I agree it’s a texture overload but I kind of like how the leaves on the ground match the tree. The color, even with your suggested treatment would still look ordinary, in my opinion. As is it may not be pleasing but it does make you linger. Good or bad.