These days most DSLRs and mirrorless cameras that have direct monochrome capture options also let you apply digital filters to produce an effect as if you had placed a camera filter in front of your lens. If you’re new to the world of traditional filters for black and white photography, here’s a quick primer and how it will affect your images.

National Make A Difference Day brings community service to a whole new level each year. Organizations join forces on the fourth Saturday in October to make a difference, big or small.

“A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in–what more could he ask? A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars.” ― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

My friend Mark Toal often writes about his experiences making photographs with his iPhone. You can follow him on Instagram @marktoal and see for yourself. My friend Ralph Nelson, produced an impressive coffee table book called Botanica, using nothing but a couple of iPhones.

When I’m in a rut, I like to shoot some photographs in direct monochrome mode to help me get out of that rut. These were some of the thoughts that were going through my mind when I was working on my next post