My Wife Claims She Isn't a Photographer

My wife occasionally picks up a camera and when she does, she makes some interesting images, much like the one below. The image is of some cold frosted pine tree needles hanging over an out of focus headstone. What makes this image so powerful? The image clearly shows the chill of death hanging over us while communicating the anonymous nature of death. A very powerful image indeed.

A Focus on Frost

Frost Formations

Frost Crusted Blackberry Leaves

Frosty Crust

First Frost

Frost formations can be an inviting subject to photograph. One of the secrets to showing off these little ice gems is high contrast. The best way to get high contrast is through a good black and white conversion.

It is my opinion that winter is best captured in black and white because of the stark nakedness of winter's personality. Give it a try. Compare a color image with the image in black and white to see how the character of winter shines through differently in each.