Interesting stone work on a bank in Portland, Oregon. Canon EOS XSi EF 17-85mm at 17mm f/11 1/90 ISO 200
There is architecture that inspires and lifts, there are buildings that oppress and bear down. The ability of a physical space to open our minds and set our thoughts free is something that we often overlook in our cookie-cutter office spaces and unimaginative classrooms. There are places that I walk into and I just want to sit down and write something beautiful and there are places where I just want to leave, where I feel creativity leaking out of me.
Getting a good black and white image is all about processing. Just clicking “convert to black and white” will not get it done. The silver of the stone in this image are really only achieved with a very good image processor like Nik Silver Efex Pro. While I have not used many other dedicated B&W image processors this one delivers so far above and beyond what I have ever gotten from iPhoto, Aperture, or Lightroom. It’s flexibility, quality and ease of use are really remarkable. At first I was disappointed that I had lost detail in the shadows under the cornice at the top of the building but I think it provides a nice contrast and a place for your eye to stop before it jumps off in the sky.
-Russell Berg