A quick trip to Charlotte, NC offered me a chance to have a mini 12 hour vacation. The day was beautiful for driving (I very much regretted not riding the bike) and I met friends in Uptown.
How wonderful it was to walk and wander, to point and shoot, to breathe and relax.
As an aside: I wondered why the residents of Charlotte call it Uptown and learned that this is a common question, one that Brad Panovich, Chief Meteorologist a WCNC-NBC TV answered in this blog post.
While I have many photos to work through and share, I loved the contrast between these two. Without a tripod, I took one with, and one without, flash. The mood changed dramatically in comparison, and the second begged to be converted to monochrome.
The first evokes a lovely evening stroll …
while the second encourages you to turn around and head home.
Oh the joy of photography!
Life on the Bike and other Fab Things 
Wonderful images Laurie and you are so correct, the second image is perfect for monochrome.
See how much I’ve learned? I’m so glad that you brought us all along on the wonderful journey that is Monochromia!
Dramatic difference! The second image certainly looks like a haunted house in Charlotte.
It does, doesn’t it? I converted it to B&W and immediately thought haunted house!
Sounds like a really lovely day! I love the photos Laurie! 🙂
It really was a good day, Elina. A busy city on a beautiful day … so energizing!
There’s something about that fence paling shape that evokes the feeling too………. Is it because it is so often seen around graveyards? It’s a great photo 🙂
Thanks Pauline. I was really struck by how just a bit of editing changed the whole mood.
It was a lovely mini-vacation! It felt so good to walk, explore, and use my camera. It had been too long!
I love the idea of a 12-hour vacation. It makes you think of the possibilities. I’ll bet it refreshed you physically and emotionally.
You are so right, Jim. I needed some time away … to walk, to breathe, to smile, to enjoy. And somehow, knowing that I only had a few hours, made it even more special, and not at all desperate.
Lovely!
Love your vacation!
Short but sweet!! I just love the energy of a city, especially on a bright, warmer, winter day.
Yes, what a complete mood change, LB! Photography is such an art – a tricky one at that for some of us! But thanks for keeping the photographic inspirations coming. So glad you got a chance to have a break. xoxoxox
Thanks Dani. It was a much needed break. Amazing how just a few hours can revive!
It sounds like you needed that break, doing something you love and just relaxing. The difference in the two photos, with and without flash, is really interesting. I try to remind myself to take multiple photos and experiment that way, but I usually forget . . .
I hear you! Sometimes we just get lucky … and sometimes we race home to download images and we didn’t capture the vision.
Beautiful atmosphere Laurie in I like the DOF. 🙂
Thanks Meho! To be honest, I thought of you when I visualized that second image.
😀 !!
The joy of photography indeed, well done!! A very inspiring post.
Thank you for saying so! I wish I could spend more time in creative pursuits like photography! As it is, it provides a lovely distraction from the day to day.
Love that first shot Laurie – very moody and ethereal!
Thank you, Tina! What fun to see the difference in the two, taken just moments a part.
Yay for mini-vacations! 🙂 So glad you had a chance to get out and spend some time behind your lens, Laurie. I’m missing that terribly. Great architectural shot in the first; wonderful illustration of the effect different tones/processing have in the last two. I think you hit the nail on the head with the third – I can almost hear the theme music from “Halloween” in my head 😉 Beautiful DOF by the way!
Stacy, I so appreciate your comments. I sometimes struggle to describe what I like about someone’s work. Kind of like wine … fruit forward? full finish? balanced?
I usually just say “Oh I like this one” 🙂
No kidding! What a difference. You have a great eye and the ability to tell a story through your lens.
great light and nice use of shadows 🙂
Thank you, Joshi!
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Reblogged this on Life on the Bike and other Fab Things and commented:
A new comment brought me back to this 7 year old post. A lovely memory.