Every once in a while I get a hankering to do something different with my images. A little experimentation goes a long way. And when it works, the effects can be striking. I am sure you can guess what I did with these images, so I won't bother explaining. I think the effect is like a Japanese block painting or something like that. Needless to say, it only works with some images and to certain degrees. The colour versions are not bad either. What do you think?

JMR

Very nice, John. I like the simplicity of the B&W. I think colour would definitely detract here. As with anything it can be overused, but these images both work for me.

Mike.

I usually do not care for the technique you use, but these are exquisite! May I download them to my wallpaper selections? Please?

Pup

John, For someone with such a lousy lens you do pretty good work. You drag fascinating patterns out of that technique, my friend. It is good work.

Your point is taken. That is in fact why I chose BW, the simplicity. Thanks for the comments.

JMR

Sure, go ahead. Thanks for the comments.

JMR

Hey, how do you know what lens I used? Does the Exif show? Russ, I of course don't always shoot patterns or motion techniques. Thanks for the comments.

JMR

I prefer the second, but I'd like it even more if the left-hand tree in the background didn't have the vertical dark band on the trunk. It seems to spoil the "dark in foreground, light in background" theme.

Jeremy

Initially, I liked the first one better but after a few minutes - side-by-side - I found the second one to be the best. I agree with your remark about the dark trunk.
But both images are very pleasant.

Very nice indeed and very different to what we are mostly used to. I like it a lot

John, I like esp. the second, the graphic look emphasizes the delicateness of the plant structures very nicely! A nice result. But, the tree in the background doesn't add to this and reminds me that this still is a photo. This is a case where removing the tree altogether would proably make sense. Maybe then, the newly created white space would perfectly work alone, but in case not I could also imagine cloning some of the light plant structures (these between the dark black main plant parts, dont know how to say it better) to these upper areas. Hope this makes sense...

Christian

John, I just suggested to Timo that he enter some of his beautiful black and whites in the current B&W Magazine portfolio contest. Then it struck me that they seem pretty receptive to the kind of thing you've been doing (beautiful stuff with a bad lens). Deadline is December 15, and you enter your photographs on a CD, which makes packaging and mailing pretty easy. You can read all about it at http://www.bandwmag.com/contest/index.html if you're interested. If you win it's a great way to get some exposure.

Thank you John. I won't abuse your trust.
Pup

very good work,, the longer I look the more it moves you into a mystic land, sort of haunting,,

Derry