Seeing Differently in Black and White.

On our fourth trip to Joshua Tree National Park and I wanted to try something different, but wasn’t sure what. So I decided to let the Park show me the way. The challenge to every photographer is keeping inspired by a place you return to many times. Whether you photograph frequently in your own locale, or places you travel to regularly, it’s easy to get stuck, and possibly bored, photographing the same thing over and over again. The solution isn’t to constantly travel. Well, maybe that’s one solution, but not all of us have that luxury. A simpler solution is to expand your vision. Try to look at it in different ways and come up with new concepts and ideas. Try doing things you normally wouldn’t do and have some fun.

Black and White Series of the Tortured Landscape

One thing I can never get enough of are the surreal and almost alien rock formations in Joshua Tree National Park. When we arrived in the late afternoon, The highlights and shadows of the rocks stood out more than the colors. This series is the result of that impression.

Study In Tortured Rocks 1 by Richard Lewis 2017

 

Study In Tortured Rocks 2 by Richard Lewis 2017

 

Study In Tortured Rocks 3 by Richard Lewis 2017

 

Study in Tortured Rocks 4 by Richard Lewis 2017

 

Study In Tortured Rocks 5 by Richard Lewis 2017

 

Desert Twilight by Richard Lewis 2017

 

Joshua Tree Stone Henge by Richard Lewis 2017

 

Light Spreading by Richard Lewis 2017

 

It is always good for your growth as a landscape photographer to challenge yourself to do something different. Here are some suggestions:

  • Don’t be a slave to dramatic sunrises and sunsets. Try different times of day to shoot.
  • Try doing a series of images that may be out of your comfort zone like night photography, macro work or simply playing with camera angles.
  • Explore. Don’t just photograph from the popular overlooks or vantage points. There are always new and interesting discoveries to make, especially in a National Park.

When planning this forth trip to Joshua Tree National Park, I wasn’t expecting much. Yet approaching what I usually do differently allowed me to exceed those expectations. My next post will have another little project I worked on.

Enjoy!