From the morning spent with landscape photographer Aaron Feinberg, this is the first composition I made at Boulder Beach, below Otter Cliffs in Acadia National Park. The early color was nice, but with the breaking surf and the dramatic predawn sky, I was thinking black and white all the way. I can never seem to get enough of the round rocks from here, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one.
I’ve a couple more compositions from this adventure to share, so stay tuned 🙂
5-23-12 at 4:51:54 a.m.
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Stephen asked for color, so here it is 🙂
5-23-12 at 4:51:54 a.m. in color 🙂
Stories from home 
This photo is superb in black and white, Wow !
Thank you!
Black and white seemed a great choice for this composition as it highlights the shapes of the smooth rocks and balances the ripples in the clouds. Great snap. Cheers.
Thanks. Those round rocks are pretty impressive shapes, aren’t they? I was hoping the long exposure (4 seconds) would leave a little detail in the waves, and I knew that the sky was perfect for black and white.
I’m not sure what I think of Black and white; I would like to see it in color too so I can see what I like best.
Hmmm… not a fan of the black and white, eh Stephen? Just for you, I’ll post a color version so you can compare 🙂
Thanks for doing that. I’ve been sitting hear comparing. Color definitly bring more life to it. I see some things I like about black and white too. I can feel more deeply from it. It has more drama in it. When I sit and look at it I feel something deep in my soul.
You are welcome. I appreciate that both versions have their own character, and that they are quite different.
The B/W was nice, but I enjoyed the color one better. Thanks for adding it!
Thanks for letting me know… I appreciate the feedback.
Wow! The color one is so much better! I don’t know… I just got thrilled with the colors! You should indeed post some more colorful once with black and white (: Have a nice day!
Thanks Maria.
IMO, the color (while beautiful) is softer, more “romantic”. The B&W has more drama. I like them both, but for this particular compostion, I’m going to go with the B&W.
Thanks Carol. I’ve made photographs from this location on many times, so my view is probably a little jaded. I have others from this spot that I believe are stronger in color, so with this one I didn’t feel the need to hold onto the colors.
Absolutely beautiful, both of them.
Thanks Marion. I appreciate the kind words.
They are both beautiful, David…I think the B&W is more dramatic in a more solid or grounded way, if that makes sense. The color shot almost seems ethereal and the black and white more earthy…in my humble, novice’s opinion. 🙂
I hear you Scott… there’s definitely a “grittiness” to the black and white.
A beautiful grittiness…I love it.
Both versions are great 🙂
Thanks Charlie. I’m having fun with the black and white conversions.
They are very, very different photos. You get to see the essence of the shapes with black and white. You see where the light really is, and where it really isn’t. The color is actually kind of distracting once you’ve looked at the black and white a while.
The black and white is evocative of a time when we had to use our imaginations more fully, and similarly when film makers like Alfred Hitchcock exploited our imaginations with their use of light and shadow, pure shapes from value changes, and suggestion of shapes in shadow. And, the black and white pulls at us who are old enough to have grown up with black and white television. I can’t even describe how it makes me feel!
Thanks Rick. I knew as soon as I saw this one that it would translate very well into black and white. The shapes and tones are definitely strong, and I loved when you said: “You see where the light really is, and where it isn’t.”