Beauty of Old

Recently, I had a chance to visit the oldest Conservatory in the USA, which unknown to me at the time was right in my backyard. Ok, not literally in my backyard, but about 10 miles away in Downtown Detroit. I was looking for something to do with my Mom on yet another unbelievably cold day, so I decided to take her for a ride around Belle Isle. Belle Isle is an island park which is connected to the city, by way of a 19 arch bridge that spans across the Detroit River. We were driving around the vast island park, and came upon the Conservatory. I was happy to find somewhere warm and indoors to take my Mom. We went inside, and it was absolutely beautiful! The Conservatory contains exotic plants and flowers from all over the world. There were not as many flowers because of the time of year, but what we did see was beautiful! Here is a photo of the outside of the Conservatory, and I will post more of the inside soon. Enjoy!

The Looking Glass

There is a good contrast of old and new buildings in Downtown Detroit, as my eye is always drawn to both when I have my camera. This photo is one of the older buildings downtown. The architectural detail is what always draws me in to the older buildings, the way they were made, and how they continue to withstand time.

I've been spending time looking at Black & White photos from other photographers online, as it is something I have wanted to learn myself for awhile now. I am having trouble deciding what actually constitutes a good black and white photo. I see some that are a stark black and white together, some that have more black than white, some that have more white than black and some that are even black and gray. I have a number of photos that I believe would look better in black and white, then they would in color. So, as I begin experimenting with black and white photos, I would love it if someone could tell me if I am on the right track or not? Or, is it just a matter of personal preference in this regard too? Hope you enjoy!