Figure 1 – Tree bathed in a sunset light, Madison, Connecticut, (c) DE Wolf 2016.

I am always intrigued by what makes a picture a black and white vs. a color image. Case in point is the image of Figure 1. It raises memories. This week in Massachusetts is unseasonably chilly and rainy; so there is more than a certain appeal to a tree, not yet leafed out, but warmly bathed in a golden sunset.

I took this image about a month ago in Madison, Connecticut. I was struck at the time by the twist of limbs, by the texture of the bark, and, of course, by the warmth of the light. My immediate thoughts were of a black and white photograph, most probably with the warmth of the moment reintroduced with a sepia tone. But, as always, I played with it both ways, and in the end color won out. This is not only because of the color of the sunlight on the boughs, but also because of the subtle hues and shades of the background.

Canon T2i with EF70-200mm f/4L USM at 70 mm, ISO 1600, Aperture Priority AE Mode, 1/250th sec at f/11.0 with no exposure compensation.