Saturday, May 08, 2010

Black and white photos

I have been away travelling in the far north of our Islands - it has been great but tiring. Of course, the bonus photo opportunities have been good to get! However, I really love balck and white photos - they inspire me for some reason. Maybe it's because I have to inject my own feelings about them, without colour to guide me? Maybe it's because when I firsrt started taking photos black and white was all we could afford...how I dreamed of being a colour rich photographer! And now....


The above hotel in a place called Ngarawahia - rather run down part of town but I kind of liked this one. I have 'played' with it, obviously but what do you say we pop in and have a beer and acatch up yarn? Looks just the place.

Being away from home means I also don't get to fuss over this chap as much as I'd like to...


11 comments:

Steve said...

Black and white photos seem to leave room for personality and mood far more than colour shots... they're so evocative of time and place. Love the shot of the cat - he looks a right scamp.

The Sagittarian said...

Steve, agreed. And Ernie is such a handsome dude...and a scamp! He's got a huge appetite. he thinks nothing of scoffing down a plate full (full!!)of Whiskas ocean seafood platter and TTHEN a tray full of chicken necks! He's a big boy, and i love 'im!!

Lynne with an e said...

Saj,
Ernie is certainly not the only one who's glad to have you back! I can tell you have a soft spot for the big guys. (oops. I mean...er...ahem. Moving on...)

And that big old hotel has so much character, especially in your black and white treatment of it. Excellent job.
The place reminds me of ramshackle hotel I once stayed at in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The owner bragged to me and the band over drinks that he'd once killed a man and that he kept his gun in the office safe (better than in his boot, I guess). There were some fascinating nooks and crannies in that place. I wish I would've had a digital camera back then.

Yes, I'd say your old hotel here looks like the ideal place to stop in for a cold beer and chin wag. I'll just grab my purse...or maybe we can get Owen to treat us.

Anonymous said...

Cats are poetry.

Please have a wonderful Sunday.

Owen said...

What ? What's that ? Owen's round ? Why sure ! Why not ? Step right everyone, what's yer pleasure ???

Black and white is gorgeous... you are right, it somehow does allow alot more interpretation and injection of one's own imagination into the works. That hotel looks like another candidate for a bit of refurbishing work. Is that project number two ? Maybe we could open a whole chain of hotels ? (with bars in each one, naturally)(The bar being the principal attraction in fact, the hotel rooms would just come in handy for sleeping off the excesses)
:-)
Cheers !

The Sagittarian said...

Louciao - Oh I'm glad to be back, even tho' it's only momentary! Yes, I am sure Owen will shout us a beer or three and we can dance the night away!

Robert - I am indeed having a wonderful Sunday! And yes, cats ARE poetry...some are even a novel!

Owen - yes, project 2 and I like the idea of a chain of them...I am on a mission again tomorrow and flying up to Tauranga, then down to Napier and Wairoa - all ideal spots for our next lot of pubs. I will see what I can find.

Lynne with an e said...

Excellent idea, sibs. A round of pubs for everyone!

Marginalia said...

Having seen how cats figure in so many people's blogs I've decided that in future I'll give over my blog to our tom Ginja the Ninja.

Your tom is stunning, but then again what cat isn't?

Rol said...

B&W is so much more atmospheric. That hotel looks like something out of a Hitchcock movie - I doubt it would have looked the same in colour.

TheUndertaker said...

Hey Sag (ok to call you that? lol) How far up north did you travel? North of the SI or all the way up past my nick of the woods here on the NI?
Hope you had a good trip. My last trip was to the V8s in Hamilton, lol, not quite the same perhaps

The Sagittarian said...

Barry - hellow and welcome, thanks for your kind comments about my Ernie...he is a real cool dude. I like the sound of your Ginja Ninja!

Rol- you're right, which is why I changed it. Mind you, even as I was taking the photo I was 'seeing' it in b/w.

Undertaker (or Undie??) - I was as far up as Whangarei, then trekked down to Auckland, and Hamilton. Have just returned from Tauranga, Napier and Wairoa!