25.01.11 – Trying to get decent color shots using the Hipstamatic during the long dark winter months of Finland can be a challenge. The color palette of the city is primarily a snow-covered white, although Helsinki still radiates color with brightly colored shops and buildings, the short amount of daylight hours and skies predominately covered by overcast clouds and/or snow left me with dark, plugged-up color shots with a blue cast.
I was spending most of my time walking through the many parks of Helsinki and my eye was drawn to the contrast of the black lines of the tree branches on the white background of snow and sky. I had already been taking some photos of trees and posting them with positive comments so it only seemed logical to focus on the same.
Switching to BlacKeys B+W film on the Hipstamatic was a bit unnatural at first because the whole time I’ve been working on my blog, I’ve enjoyed capturing bright color, but I started seeing positive results almost immediately. I liked what I was seeing and it opened up a whole new range of photo opportunities. I already have a number of other images I want to post and I know there are many places in the city that I’ve shot color I can’t wait to get back to capture some black and white shots.
This is one of the great things about an app like Hipstamatic, or photography in general. Once you think you’re tapped out on ideas, you can switch gears and open up a whole new area to play in.
More black and white to follow!
Related Articles
- Hipstamatic Sää – Helsinki Weather Perfect for Hipta-shots (tbeidler.wordpress.com)
- Searching for Color in a Snow Covered World (tbeidler.wordpress.com)
- Hipstamatic and the White Powder, Snow That Is 😉 (tbeidler.wordpress.com)
These 3 are incredible, Tom!! Your the new Ansel Adams! I don’t know if I spelled his name right, but he’s the King of b/w photos. Keep ’em coming.
when you said you were going to diversify into b/w, i thought,”i will miss the strange light of the colors”. but the colors have been replaced with textures. a good trade.