Dark tulips

A beautiful flower bed peppered with velvety tulips in a cultivated corner of London.

In monochrome, these blooms look silky and black as ink – in a richly coloured high key shot, they are a rich maroon as they rest on a dazzling carpet of yellow blossom. The colour sizzles while the black and white broods – which do you favour?

This was one moment in a photographic walk taken with fellow camera fancier and blogger, Richard Cooper-Knight. You can see our first joint post here very soon…

Tags: black silk, black tulips, dazzling gold, florals, London, maroon, nature, photography, Richard Cooper-Knight, Spring, tulips

20 thoughts on “Dark tulips”

Andy Townend on May 10, 2014 at 17:45 said:

Great to see the mono treatment, amazing how the world changes through filtered eyes…

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- mikeosbornphoto on May 10, 2014 at 18:26 said:
  
  Thanks Andy, it’s probably fitting for so called black tulips.
  
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  - Andy Townend on May 10, 2014 at 18:27 said:
    
    Indeed ;-)
    
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Mark Simms on May 10, 2014 at 16:39 said:

Generally I prefer my flowers as nature intended…… in colour.

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- mikeosbornphoto on May 10, 2014 at 18:26 said:
  
  Fair play, Mark. Sometimes it seems a shame to strip them of the colour they were blessed with.
  
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ckponderings on May 10, 2014 at 12:08 said:

Definitely the colour version, Mike. I like the blurriness of the yellow flowers. :)

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- mikeosbornphoto on May 10, 2014 at 15:46 said:
  
  Yes, it’s the closest I’ll come to a field of rapeseed this year!
  
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Kiki on May 10, 2014 at 11:54 said:

Definitely favour the black ones. They have a strange pull somehow, and in the back of my mind thoughts of cemeteries or horror movies are lurking…

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- mikeosbornphoto on May 10, 2014 at 15:47 said:
  
  Thanks Kiki. Oh, you do harbour dark thoughts! But there is something a bit menacing about that shot…
  
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leecleland on May 10, 2014 at 10:46 said:

So pleased you put both as both are so different. Think I’ll go for the monochrome and brooding, nothing wrong with the sizzling colour just for this shot my preference is for B&W.

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- mikeosbornphoto on May 10, 2014 at 15:48 said:
  
  Thank you Lee, nice to hear the word from Down Under! I haven’t quite decided yet, I must say…
  
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First Night Design on May 10, 2014 at 10:10 said:

Beautiful, velvety blackness. I long to know which cultivated corner of London.

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- mikeosbornphoto on May 10, 2014 at 15:49 said:
  
  Thank you Sarah. I can tell you this bed is in the Rembrant Gardens in Little Venice.
  
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  - First Night Design on May 10, 2014 at 15:55 said:
    
    Aha! I haven’t been in Little Venice for a century. Time to go.
    
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    - mikeosbornphoto on May 10, 2014 at 16:04 said:
      
      Yes, the canal paths are fascinating… there will be a series of photos from there gathered with my collaborator Richard tomorrow :)
      
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Malin H on May 10, 2014 at 09:26 said:

I think I’ll go for the b&w – it’s more classic (and timeless).

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- mikeosbornphoto on May 10, 2014 at 15:50 said:
  
  Interesting! Thanks Malin. Although I shouldn’t be so surprised at your choice – it suits your own style :)
  
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  - Malin H on May 10, 2014 at 18:52 said:
    
    Indeed! :))
    
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Laura Bloomsbury on May 10, 2014 at 09:14 said:

Seeing the colour helps me understand what the black and white does – they are incomparable. The silkiness is in the depth of field. As a novice I’m puzzled why this works so well – the focal point is dead centre front. PS looking forward to your collaboration with RCK.

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- mikeosbornphoto on May 10, 2014 at 15:52 said:
  
  Laura, thank you for your very precise observations. The bloom in the foreground is the star of the show really – the others are just bit part players. Glad you are looking forward to our joint post – it’s coming tomorrow.
  
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