Photo Of The Day By Paul Bowman (3/26/2013)

Paul Bowman sent today’s photo to the Winter Grandscapes Assignment. The photo was taken in the Kananaksis Valley in Alberta, Canada. Bowman’s comments about the photo:

“On this day I walked the frozen Spray Lake for hours looking for an appealing foreground subject such as cracks in the ice or bubbles with no luck. I had all but give up when a came across this snow blown area with a perfect lead into the mountain range. I chose B&W here with a hint of blue to to help give the image the feel of how cold it was on this day.”

This photo shows how a slight tint can affect the mood of an image. By adding the “hint of blue” he instilled a feeling of cold in a way that a neutral black and white photo wouldn’t have. In traditional darkrooms, master printers would use selenium- or gold-toning techniques to give a feeling of coolness or warmth. Digital tools give us much more control and we can create effects from subtle to outlandish. The key, as in all things, is moderation.

I’ll be choosing a Photo Of The Day every day. I’ll be selecting the images from the various OP galleries including Assignments, Your Favorite Places and all of the OP Contests.

-Christopher Robinson, Editor