Black & White by Joseph Pooley

15/12/2021

The sunrise view from one of my favorite places.
Dust from avalanches & alpine rockfall lines the valley and catches the light beautifully as the sun emerges over the mountains in the east.

24/04/2021

Yep, I know, it's been a while since I posted anything on this page. Over a year ago in fact. My last post was a lockdown selfie. 🤣

Anyway, this is an image composite I created this month as an assignment for my photography diploma.
It's modeled after the images of Jerry Uelsmann, one of the masters of surrealism. Difference is Jerry achieved these types of images shooting film and developing in the dark room!
🤯🎓🏆👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

My beautiful model is none other than Georgia Clarke.

The hands are my own. 👋🏼😁

07/04/2020

Here's a rare shot of me, in front of the camera for once.😅
Playing music is one of the ways I've been keeping myself entertained during COVID-19 lockdown.
I hope things will start returning to normal after the end of this month.
Stay safe everyone!

♣️ A7ii
♦️ Sony 55mm f1.8
♠️ A-1005 Tripod.
♥️ 1/1250, f/1.8, ISO50, 55mm.

26/11/2019

No matter how old or how much of a cliché a destination becomes, there can always be a fresh perspective. The scene can always be viewed from a new angle and under different light.
I shot this image under assignment to produce a black and white architectural image for my study.
Seen as the church of the good shepherd has the monopoly in terms of unique architecture in Tekapo, it seemed like an obvious choice of subject.
Creating a fresh perspective of the church took some deep consideration.
Besides waiting for a microsecond without people in the frame I had to set up and wait for the sun to reach a position where it bagan to cast shadows on the face of the steps.
Once that moment arrived however so did a wedding party for their photos. A quick angle and zoom adjustment cropped them out of the scene long enough to take a couple of worthy snaps.
The B&W conversion took this image from being warm and inviting, to a wild, dramatic, and chaotic scene.
Thus showcasing the power of colour and contrast on the human mind.

♠️ A7ii
♥️ Sony 16-35mm f4 + CPL
♣️ Sirui W-2004 tripod
♦️1/20sec, f/11, ISO100, 26mm

21/10/2019

25/09/2019

Another moody monochrome from one of my favourite south Island beaches.
Wharariki beach, with it's Iconic archway islands.
This place has unbelievable power and presence.
It's calling me back! 😉📸

19/04/2019

After any photo shoot there are usually a few images that really resonate.
For me this is definitely one of those images.
Back in 2017 I teamed up with Georgia May Fitness for a shoot following one of her (very successful) Bikini competitions.

Part of what I like about this image is the contrast of Georgia's elegant figure, boldly lit against the cold hard industrial backdrop.
The shadow over most of her face also gives a sense of anonymity, making her somewhat of a woman of mystery. No doubt this provokes a bit of curiosity.
I was more than happy posting this as a colour image, but I also saw it as a perfect candidate for B&W conversion.

Have a happy and safe Easter everyone!

♣️ A7ii
♥️Sony 55mm f1.8
♠️ V860ii off camera flash + X1T transmitter.
♦️1/160sec f/2.8 ISO100

11/04/2019

An oldie but a goodie.
This image dates back to October 2016, when I was recently back from my travels and still shooting with my little old Samsung NX3000 camera.
An enormous piece of driftwood embedded in the sand, surrounded by the shell banks on Buffalo beach, Whitianga. I nicknamed this one "Sea creature".
The name seemed fitting as the roots of what was once a massive tree, now rose from the foreshore like the claw of a mythical beast!
♥️ Camera
♠️Samsung NX 16-50 PZ lens
♦️ ND64 Filter
♣️ 6sec f/16 ISO200 16mm

09/04/2019

The low angle of the setting sun brings out amazing texture and contours in the sand dunes of Wharariki beach.
Situated on the upper west coast of the South island, this has to be one of my favourite beaches in the country. It's such a powerful, raw, and undisrupted environment.
The mood of this place is something quite supernatural!
I can't wait to get back there!


♦️ A7ii
♣️Sony 16mm f4
♥️ UVC filter
♠️ 1/640sec f/18 ISO100 16mm

Please contact me directly for prints or services and visit my website for high resolution images. Link and contact details in bio.

03/04/2019

I'm excited to announce my new dedicated Black & White Photography pages on both Facebook and Instagram.
These will be used to post only black and white conversions of my new and old photos.
Please like and follow these pages to keep up to date with my latest activity.
Comments and sharing of my posts are encouraged and always appreciated!😁✌🏼

Recently I was inspired by another photographer who's speciality is producing moody and dramatic black and white landscapes. I am generally very particular and probably over critical of my own work, so if I'm not completely satisfied with the appearance of an image, then it won't be posted or put to print.
It occurred to me that hidden away in the archives I have many photos of dramatic light on impressive landscapes, in which the tones are simply exhibited much better without the presence of colour.
In the coming weeks and months I'll be posting a series of these rediscovered an re-developed black and white images I've taken from recently to as far back as 2015.
I'll be interesting to see the public response, as my place of residence, taste in composition and editing style have changed a lot in these few years.
This photo is from October 2017, when I was camping near Mt Cook village. I rose in the early morning and walked the Ho**er valley track in darkness to capture the sunrise looking over the glacier lake toward Mount Cook.
I didn't get the amazing display of colour I was hoping for, but the first light on the mountains made this image a perfect candidate for B&W conversion. ♠️ A7ii
♥️ + superdark variable ND
♣️ W-2004 tripod
♦️5sec, f/16, ISO100, 16mm.

Please follow and share my new page to stay up to date with my latest black and white imagery. https://www.instagram.com/j.pooley_blackandwhite/