Black and white has always been a favorite way to showcase my photos. I was an Ansel Adams junkie. I studied the Zone System, read almost all his books and tried to copy, think and produce pictures like the man himself. In the 70′s and on through the 80′s my family put up with my so called weekend hobby (which really was 24/7) by letting me have the second bathroom as a darkroom. Minutes turned to hours, hours into days and so it went… Thousands of negatives were developed and even to this day I still have hundreds that have never made it to the enlarger table.
The joy of watching that very first image appear in the developing tray is still etched in my mind. It was magic, I was a master at my own craft from beginning to end. This same feeling and satisfaction of looking at a black and white photo has stayed with me over the years. Of course I love color but Black and White offers and suggests that you need to just pay a little more attention to the print, the tones and shadows, the grain and smooth texture, the darkeness of the blacks and the “lighter shades of pale” (sorry I could’nt resist myself).
And for me, it does’nt matter what the tool is your using. “The right camera for you, is the one you have with you”, a well known quote. I am not here to impress you or for that matter anyone. I’ve had people give me the old critique and make suggestions to me on how to be a better shooter… hog wash! Life is too short to worry about what others think. I do make an exception to this comment though, I care what my family and close friends and loved ones think. How they feel, respond and yes judge my photos. It does mean something to me and I do care about that. Is that being two faced? I hope not. I do get enjoyment when people have positive comments on my work. Not trying to be vain here, just a natual feeling I think we all have inside.
So there you go, I have had a secret love affair all these years with this art. It has given he hope when times were down and made me happy when I could’nt get a smile going. So grab your camera, switch to Black and White and get creative, different, sideways and yes crazy with yourself… Pete
1happyhapa 
Way cool!, Pete. You are quite the writer. I enjoyed it all so far. If you ever want to make it a book in print, with the black and white (also one of my favorites as the contrasts are sharper) see lulu.com. You upload a Word document and design a cover. Order one book or as many as you want, usually under $10 — Dale
Keep it up.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks much Dale. Take care brother
LikeLike