ArtFire

This black and white floral picture features a daylily playing host to a small visitor. You wouldn't think flowers this vivid would translate well to black and white, but reds and yellows can really surprise you when you get them into monochrome. For one thing, even the brightest yellows can go completely white, while reds tend to really saturate. In this case, that leaves us with the mystery in-between red and yellow from which this lily has been crafted.

I start with the idea that the monochrome is a new image, separate from the original. That way, I am open to the surprise and open to playing with my expectations. I can make the monochrome generally faithful to the color version, or I can make it so different that it is basically unrecognizable. In this case, although I was sorely tempted to go with a very dramatic, high contrast version of the image, in the end I felt it wasn't really an appropriate treatment for the subject. The hollywood version was gorgeous and glamorous, but were my lily and my insect really meant for the spotlight and the jet set? Would they survive the late nights and the constant media attention? Wouldn't they be better off with a slightly quieter tonal range that would still let them shine but not hit you over the head with it? Something a little subtler, to give your eye a little time to travel through the frame? I thought so. You can tell me what you think in the comments.

This botanical flower photograph is also available in the original color version under a separate listing.

From a digital original. Printed on 8.5 x 11 paper with white borders. Mounted on 11 x 14 mat. (See shipping notes and store policies for more info on matting.) Signed and dated using no-acid archival ink.

The price listed is for an 8x10 print. See the Sizes and Formats category for special ordering this image in a different standard size or format. Contact me via the link at the bottom of any page in the shop if you are interested in a custom size print or format.

Printed on Epson Exhibition Fiber paper using Epson UltraChrome K3 pigment inks. This paper was designed to resemble the traditional fiber-based photo paper used for decades by professional photographers.

Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc. rates this paper/ink combination as stable for over 200 years if framed with standard glass and over 250 years framed with UV glass. Compare this to traditional gelatin silver prints, which last 50 to 100 years only if NOT exposed to light. Exposed to light, traditional gelatin silver photos remain stable for only 20 to 40 years. Traditional photographic printing processes also involved the use of many toxic chemicals.

The image shown is a low-resolution, watermarked copy. The final print is made from the high-resolution original file, with no watermark. The image here was color-corrected on a calibrated monitor to correctly represent the finished print.

Epson Exhibition Fiber paper, Epson UltraChrome K3 pigment inks

All photos are mounted on buffered, acid-free mat board using archival, acid-free photo corners. See store policies for more info.

Comment on this photo, and if you purchase it within 24 hours of commenting you'll see a nice surprise on checkout!

I welcome international orders. Shipping costs to countries not listed will be quoted on an individual basis. Generally, it is safe to assume that rates will be equal to or greater than the rates to the UK.