Rippled Leaves
I discovered this botanical image while editing my body of work recently. Sometimes it’s good to see things with fresh eyes. Originally captured in color, I converted this image to black & white — a superior photo in that format — bringing out all the textural nuances I believe.
Just a Hint of Green
The cycles of drought and rain trade places in California. One can read about this in some of the wonderful books by John Steinbeck, a native Californian. I celebrate my 40th year as an immigrant to California this year. After an extremely dry fall and winter, we finally received the first rain a few weeks ago. It prompted me to venture out after the storm had passed. Amazingly, just one heavy rain storm woke up the ground. I caught the view of this lovely hill, sprouting just a hint of green.
Let There Be Light
I almost dropped my camera when I saw this scene late last fall. Overcast skies, a slight wind, and then piercing light coming from the East. God was having fun that day.
This is still one of my favorite images of water: the juxtaposition of the Pacific ocean covered with scattered clouds, to a man-made pool of water. A palette of blues, grays, and aquas.
Shades of Gray
The fog drifting through these conifers just lent itself to this black & white image.
Turbulent waters
I took this photo in the Sierras. I heard a thundering roar from the car window and decided to park and investigate. This is what I found.
This was an amazing sight: a fire had destroyed much of the vegetation on a sand dune of all places, but (a year later I’m guessing), the miracle of new life had sprung up in the dunes. This black & white version lends a different kind of drama to this landscape image.
Into the Sea
Originally taken in color on a wet, stormy, overcast, fall day, this image looks even more dramatic in black & white I think.
About to Tumble
This is another image I converted to black & white. It was taken in one of America’s magnificent National Parks: Yosemite. Creation in all its grandeur. To give you a perspective on size: some of the boulders sitting on this massive rock slab were enormous, I would guess 10 – 15 feet in diameter.
Carved by Time
This is another image converted to black & white. It brings out the beautiful lines carved out by time of this ancient weathered tree growing in the bristlecone pine forest.
Matthias Leue Photography 