Photoessay: Park form

_Z710357 copy

A walk in the park can sometimes be more than easy and better than creative – a refreshment of the mind and eye, and some good light to make things interesting. I’ve found myself working increasingly in monochrome these days to focus on forms and shapes and remove the distractions of color; there’s a time and place for it but the color really has to carry the story. In a high-density and high-contrast environment that’s monochromatic anyway – taking away the color pushes the eye towards the core of the story. MT

This series was shot with the Nikon Z7 and contains SOOC JPEG images using my custom Picture Controls, available here. Similar results are available with other cameras by following the Monochrome Masterclass workflow.

_Z708787 copy

_Z708774 copy

_Z708285 copy

_Z708057 copy

_Z709993 copy

_Z710410 copy

_Z709799 copy

_Z709805 copy

_Z708756 copy

_Z708348 copy

_Z708262 copy

_Z707782 copy

_Z708269 copy

__________________

Ultraprints from this series are available on request here

__________________

Visit the Teaching Store to up your photographic game – including workshop videos, and the individual Email School of Photography. You can also support the site by purchasing from B&H and Amazon – thanks!

We are also on Facebook and there is a curated reader Flickr pool.

Images and content copyright Ming Thein | mingthein.com 2012 onwards unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved

Comments

  1. The first image suggests a man contemplating entering The Carnival Of Death.

  2. Remember Ming, it’s all about contrast. You go as far as you can until you can’t go any farther. Is that a quote from Yogi Berra?

  3. Kristian Wannebo says:

    Ming,
    I find several favourites here, … but I keep coming back to that Cloud!

    The motif of light coming through darkness is classical…

    But I find your cloud image *very* special!

    Lovely!

    • I fully admit I have a problematic cloud fetish… 😛

      • Kristian Wannebo says:

        ( me too )

        But
        problematic ???
        – – –

        Btw, I played the game of turning your cloud four ways, but quickly found out that you – of course! – had put it on its right footing.

        ( A cloud of mine behaved differently, it changed its mood when turned.)

        • They always change their moods, but usually when the light is this strongly directional (at either end of the day) then there’s only one way up…

          • Kristian Wannebo says:

            Ah, it somehow just looked unbelievable in other positions, so I thought it *might* be light direction … Thanks!

  4. Wonderful compositions, I share your thoughts on b&w images. The absence of color usually elevates the other features of the composition.

  5. I think that your photos from your Pen F were far more ‘pleasing’. These look a little muddy.

    • They looked more pleasing at web sizes but there were often unavoidable clipped areas at either end (that didn’t look as obvious because, small size). The Nikon handles tonal transitions much, much better.

Trackbacks

  1. […] as the previous photoessay focused on the distilled shapes and forms of the organic, today’s does the same for the […]