Piers Blackett
July 2026 - From the Pier
Original
Original 2
About the Image(s)
The quite ancient pier on the west side of Lake Hefner is about 50 yards long, so I walked along it last winter with the intention of a black and white photo looking for leading lines but not to nowhere. On walking back I noticed a triangle leading to a tree with interesting contrasts from the snow which had fallen the day before.
The shot was taken hand-held at f/10, 1/4000 sec, ISO 1600 with my 100-500mm lens at 109.0 mm.
From the original I cropped slightly to put the corner and lakeside on third lines to intersect with the corner and flipped horizontally to emphasize a left to right flow. I removed interfering posts separating the golf course from the driveway. I used NIK 7 Silver Effex for the black and white conversion using the fine art preset to begin, then used the sliders to increase shadows, blacks (32%), whites (38%) and mid tones slightly.
7 comments posted
I like your coloured version better than the monochrome. It has a lovely soft colour palette that goes well with the snow.
I agree with flipping it horizontally. It draws you into the image more.
There are plenty of lines, shapes and texture to make this image interesting.
Well done! Posted: 07/01/2026 23:34:12
I too am intentional about looking for lines, texture, shadows and contrast. You've done a great job. The subtle shades of blue and yellow are the complimentary colors we all strive for, so, I also prefer the color version.
I am conflicted, though, about the triangular sliver of driveway on the right. It helps tell a bit more of the story of where you are, but I find it distracting to my eye. Posted: 07/02/2026 19:27:40
As you may imagine boats go by but the boats then become the subject. Posted: 07/08/2026 15:01:10
The gaze naturally follows the steps toward the calm lake, with clear primary and secondary layers. Gray-blue still water, pure white remnant snow, yellow-brown concrete, and brown wild grass form a low-saturation cool color system, maximizing the cool and tranquil atmosphere of winter.
In my opinion, the withered tree in the background is somewhat plain and incomplete. Cropping the top appropriately can strengthen the main staircase line, making the image more streamlined. Posted: 07/08/2026 03:57:04
