Lilies in mono

Needless to say, one of my favorite photography subjects is what nature can give us, especially flowers.  If not all, a majority of photographers have photographed flowers, thus, we can generalize, too, that a photographer started with flowers as their subject.  Shooting them in their full glorious and colorful state gives a different high.

One time, though, I experimented on a number of flowers that can bring out the same interesting-ness when captured in mono.  They exude a different kind of beauty that can awe one’s senses.  When I went to Sagada in the early part of 2009, these Easter lilies were in full bloom, and I thought a black and white capture would give justice to its rather melancholic behavior. Capturing its lines and textures also proved to be challenging.  Lighting was cooperative since the sun was covered by thick clouds and would be just ideal to shoot in mono.  I was not disappointed with the effect.  I just love how the light and dark colors blend well into the overall appeal of the photo.

One lesson learned, however, is the fact that not all flowers can be shot in mono.  Flowers are best captured in full color.  One just needs to train one’s eyes to look into the characteristics of the flower and a decision has to be made whether or not to shoot/convert to mono, or shoot them as what and how nature expresses itself to you.