Tag Archives: Monochrome

Everglades in Monochrome

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Everglades in Black and White by Chip Bunnell Photography

The Everglades is truly a wonder of nature. Often, when the name is heard, alligators and some interesting characters that drive air boats come to mind. In reality, there are several very different parts of this giant National Park, each as equally distinctive as the others.

This image depicts the largest portion of the 2 million acre wetland ecosystem, the sawgrass marshes.  Dubbed the “River of Grass”, a shallow, slow moving river meanders through the tall grass as it makes its way south to Florida Bay and the Florida Keys.  Numerous species of birds call this area home.  Native palm trees can be seen in the distance.  Massive spring clouds add interest as they seem to glide just above the tree line. As this is the end of our annual dry season, the grass is brown, just waiting for the summer rains to return them to their lush green appearance.

Deep in the Everglades, along the historic Tamiami Trail, Clyde Butcher, one of my favorite photographers has his gallery and former home.  After enjoying his truly spectacular monochromatic work, I was inspired to process this frame as a black and white.

For the last week I have been working exclusively with a Fuji X-T1 system.  I do love my full Canon system, but I am enjoying the lighter weight of the mirrorless design.  More details on this to follow….

Photo Stuff:  Single image with a Fuji X-T1, Processed in LR and Nik Silver Efex Pro 2

www.ChipBunnell.com
©2015 All Rights Reserved

 

Dreaming of a Mermaid

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Mermaid Dreaming Monochrome by Chip Bunnell Photography

Click to Enlarge – See the Details

There she was…no hoax, no tricks…a fabled creature only seen by ancient sailors in distant waters. Just out of reach, a live mermaid swam before us under the warm Florida sun. We stood as if frozen in time, confused and unsure of the wonderment we were witnessing.

Mermaid Tammi playfully swam from end to end, occasionally surfacing to cautiously investigate us. With each pass she gained a bit more trust as we remained perfectly motionless. Each time she surfaced, she stayed just a few seconds longer; each time allowing us to gaze on her just bit more. A remarkable calm filled the afternoon as we seemed to bridge the great divide between land and water.

Finally, our mermaid understood we had only child-like curiosity. She shared a huge, watery smile and a wink from her eye and that was all invitation Brittany needed. With one, very unplanned leap, she splashed into the mermaid’s world. She simply could not pass up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to swim, if even for a brief moment, with a live mermaid. One from the water and one from the land, a true connection was made.

As for me, I was lucky enough to capture this mystical moment as proof mermaids are real and dreams can come true.

Behind the Scene: Single Frame, Processed in LR, PS and Nik Analog Efex

www.ChipBunnell.com
© 2014 All Rights Reserved