Category: Monochrome

Black & white pictures

Strolling By The Beach

Strolling By The Beach
I revisited Changi Jetty early yesterday morning again. At CY’s comment that my pictures taken there were getting boring with the same repetitive subjects, I trained my camera elsewhere. Initially, only the lone figure sat on the bench in this silhouette scene. As the morning progressed, more activities began to take place around. I was lucky to catch the lady with the pram walking in step with her partner, who was carrying the child in his arms. To fill up the blank void towards the right, I have additionally composited the extra figures on the right of the frame. The original shot was mostly monochromatic in nature. I have converted it to full monochrome with a sepia tint added in for the final output.

Canoes

Canoes
I made a recce trip today to Changi Coast Road to see what photo opportunities were available but ended up at Changi Jetty yet again. Just when I was about to leave for good, a group of canoeists lined their canoes by the beach prior to their practice. The strong sunlight and patterns of the canoes caught my attention for this close-up, almost-abstract shot. I have converted the original to a sepia-toned monochrome shot to emphasize the strong patterns and lines.

A Window Seat At Duntulm Castle

A Window Seat At Duntulm Castle
This is the view from one of the windows of Duntulm Castle, Trotternish, Isle Of Skye, Scotland. Duntulm apparently means the fort on the green grassy headland. Abandoned around 1730 by the MacDonalds, it now lies in ruins close to the sea. I did not know of the history of the castle proper until I did a Google search a few days ago; the Travels In Scotland website has this to say about the castle:

Duntulm has some pretty horrific history. Hugh MacDonald was imprisoned in the castle dungeon, and purposely starved to death after he tried to seize the lands of his family. He was given only salted beef and no water and died stark raving mad — one horrid story says he tried to eat his own hands before the end.

The castle is rumored to be severely haunted. The ghost of Donald Gorm can be seen brawling with other ghostly miscreants in the courtyard, and a screaming, raving Hugh Macdonald also haunts the castle dungeon. Occasionally, the weeping of Margaret (who was shunned by her husband after she lost an eye in an accident) can be heard. The hysterical screams of a nursemaid who ‘accidentally’ dropped a baby out a window and onto the rocks below can also be heard sometimes.

Supposedly, the Macdonalds abandoned the castle because of the ghosts.