~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cole Thompson Photography Newsletter
classic images in black & white September 22nd, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In
This Issue:
-- New Images - The Drive to San Francisco
-- Results from The Studio Tour
-- Awards and Showings...
-- Why Black and White?
In this month's newsletter, I would like to share seven of the new
images that I created on my recent drive to San Francisco. One of my
favorites is the above image: "Jesus Loves You." Cole | |
New Images - The Drive to San Francisco ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Our recent drive to San Francisco provided some great opportunities for creating images. I find the key to getting a good image on the road with family is to have a DVD player in the car so they don't get mad at me each time we stop. "Were stopping again? Are you done yet? How much longer? Ten minutes, that's what you said last time!" That's why a DVD player in the car is indispensable, you just start a movie and the family is content to just sit there on the side of the road for an hour. Now they actually welcome a photo stop! As you look at these new images, please let me know which ones touch you and why. | |
Results from The Studio Tour ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Last weekend was the Studio Tour and it was a great success. Many old friends visited and many new friends were made. I appreciate everyone coming by. We had 79 visitors over the two days, even with the blustery weather that blew in Saturday morning. Fortunately Sunday's weather was near perfect. I want to give a special thanks to Bob Hickcox and his wife for visiting from Hawaii. They came to Denver for a seminar and their son was very kind to drive them up to see the Gallery. They are wonderful people and I appreciated their coming very much. We held the drawing for "Old Car Interior" (above) and would like to congratulate Zachary Hahn for winning. Zachary is 10 years old and his mother very badly wanted to win it. I told Zachary that he should sell it to her for what I would charge her! | |
Awards and Showings... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Here's where my work is showing this month:
| |
Why Black and White? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  I am often asked "Why black and white?" That's a tough question to answer, not because I don't know the answer but because it's hard for me to put feelings into words. First of all, I grew up in a black and white world. Newspapers, television and movies were all in black and white. The country was segregated into black and white. My heroes were in black and white and as a child everything seemed simple: it was either black or white. I also grew up with the incredible black and white images of the great masters of photography. The most powerful influence on me came from Edward Weston. So perhaps some of my preference for black and white comes from the world I grew up in, what I was used to seeing and therefore comfortable with. However, I think it's more than just that. When I see a great black and white image, a shiver literally goes up my spine. For me color records the image, but Black & White captures the feelings that lie beneath the surface. Creating a compelling black and white image in an MTV/Reality TV/Sound Byte world is challenging. I cannot always do it, but when it does come together you just stare at the image and go "Wow." In the December issue of "Popular Photography and Imaging" I am helping
to write an article about my process of converting a color image into a
black and white. For the article I provided a number of "before and after"
images to illustrate the differences. I do appreciate that black and white doesn't work for every subject and I certainly do enjoy other people's color work. But when it comes to creating my own work, I will use any color as long as it's black or white! | |
Quick Links... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| |
Contact Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
phone: 970-218-9649
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
