Are My Tastes Maturing?

My kids have a limited palette when it comes to the foods they eat. There was a phase that if the food wasn’t yellow and it hadn’t came from the freezer, they wouldn’t eat it! I was certainly no different at that age, living on a steady diet of turkey drummers. But as I got older my tastes changed, and by the time I had a “proper” job I was eating at restaurants and drinking wine. Ginger beer and heavily processed turkey breaded drumsticks were not on the menu.

Much in the same way my food palette has expanded, it looks like my photographing style is expanding to include black & white photography. I’ve always been able to appreciate a good black & white landscape photograph, but I’ve never been able to effectively translate the style into my own photographs.

**Yes Tor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon** - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 14mm, f/13, 1/15 sec at ISO 64.

Life Without Colour

Recently though I’ve started taking more black & white photographs, especially of my local area, Dartmoor National Park. I admit, my first few black & white Dartmoor photographs were hasty conversions in an effort to save a mediocre shot, but I have now started to look at what the world would look like without colour.

I would classify myself as a classic landscape photographer and this I believe is reflected in the photographs I capture of Dartmoor. Lots of big open views taken during the golden hours. I like to think of these photographs as showing off Dartmoor in its best light. And while these photographs a true representation of Dartmoor, those conditions can be rare. Frustratingly rare!

It’s from that frustration that my interest in photographing Dartmoor in black & white has come about. Being able to see Dartmoor in a way that suits the conditions has freed me a little from the constraints of only being pleased when there is a certain type of light.

**Cosdon Hill, Dartmoor National Park, Devon** - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 56mm, f/13, 1/20 sec at ISO 64.

Previsualtion

One of the reasons I am starting to photograph Dartmoor more in black and white is the effectiveness of Picture Controls on my Nikon Z8. In particular the Picture Control “deep tone monochrome” has become invaluable in helping me previsualise a Dartmoor photograph in black and white. Being able to previsualise the scene in black & white on my camera has freed me from the guilt of believing I’m only converting as a last resort

And now that Lightroom also has that profile built in, I have to do a lot less guess work in getting the photograph to look the way I saw it on the back of the camera when I captured it.

**Hunt Tor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon** - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-10mm f/4 S at 120mm, f/13, 1/20 sec at ISO 64.

The End of Colour in My Dartmoor Photographs?

As much as I have and will continue to enjoy taking Dartmoor photographs in black and white, this does not mean the end of colour for me. Far from it. Getting up early in the morning and experiencing the joy of a glorious sunrise is something I will always love to witness and to photograph.

What black and white gives me though is another tool in my creative toolbox. Something that I have in my portfolio of photography styles, rather than something to fall back on. I know what all you hardcore black and white photographers are saying…what took you so long! All I can say is, it doesn’t matter how long it took me to get here, the point is that I’m here, and I love it.