(+4 insets!)

Walking up and down the driveway this morning, I kept my eyes open for natural frames. That's because today's Saturday Self-Challenge is to create a frame within a frame, in black & white format. I could have done something easier with man-made frames but I thought it would be better to challenge myself.

I grabbed my camera when I was done with my walk and headed outside again. The problem with natural frames is that you don't always have the match of a frame and a subject. I found so many keyhole openings, frames of branches, sticks and leaves, but there were never any subjects for the frame. I wandered here and there and ended up creeping onto the side of our steep hill.

I was also checking for signs of spring and confirming that we really are late for spring's arrival. We normally have crazy amounts of flowers at this point but not this year. I did find some Saxifrage in our meadow (without any natural frame nearby) and then I found a buttercup on the hillside! The Hounds Tongue is just now sending up its beautiful, fuzzy leaves, but the beautiful blue flowers won't come for another couple of weeks I expect. It was good to see the signs of flowers though!

As I was making my way along a deer trail on the hillside, I looked up and noticed the Lower Table Rock and thought, "Ok, now that would be nice if I can find framing branches!" It took a while but eventually I found branches that I could create a frame with…HUZZAH!!

I am also including a bunch of other attempts with variable results. Do you think my main image was the right choice? I had a hard time deciding…b/w isn't my strongest suit so I'm not as confident with these pictures!

Pam, I did a search on your stream for "black and white" and came up with only one picture, and it explained a lot! :D Your self-portrait looks really dramatic in b/w and I really like it! You also explained that you're not a huge fan of creating b/w pictures and you know what? I am that way too. I really love the artform but I usually leave my pictures in color because it's so important to me. Here's hoping your day is going ok! *BIG HUGGGGGSSSSS*!!! :)