This represents my first and lasting love where photography is concerned. I do print some of the images on digital materials, however there are some that are only printed on traditional silver gelatin papers in the darkroom.
I continue to shoot primarily film for Black and White. Now with digital processing techniques, it is possible to get excellent results by converting color images to Black and White. This includes digital captures. Good quality is possible from digital cameras, but I like the tactile experience of handling film. I use mostly medium and large format film.
My newest project is to learn the platinum/palladium printing process. After about 3 years, the process seems to be quite managable, though not suitable for all images.
The images depicted here are in a new book entitled "Black and White Photography by Walt O'Brien". Many of these images appeared in the book "Sienna Woods" as well. All worked well printed as both neutral and sepia toned prints. The books are available from Blurb.com - see main page.
Mirror Lake, Yosemite National Park
Chasm Falls, Rocky Mountain National park
Silver Falls, Mount Rainier National Park
Mt. Rainier in Winter
Mt. Rainier Peak in Winter
North Cascades National Park
Kangaroo ridge, near North Cascades National Park
Cliff Face, Arches National Park
Wash and Cliff, Arches National Park
Devil's Golf Course, Death Valley National Park
Cottonwood and Cliff, Colorado River near Moab, Utah
Sprouts, Redwood State Park, California
"Old Timer", Warewood Valley, Oregon
"Emergence, The Spider", Warewood Valley, Oregon
Tree Clump, Near Waldport, Oregon
Brush, Palo Duro Canyon, Texas
Snarled Brush, Near Waldport, Oregon
Tree Tunnel, near Waldport, Oregon
Morning, Mt. Pisgah Arboretum, Eugene, Oregon
"Tree of Light", near Five Rivers, Oregon
Morning, Waldo Lake, Oregon
Windblown Trees, Cooks Trail, Oregon
Trees, West Glacier, Montana
"White Death", Hell's Backbone, Escalante, Utah
Patterson State Park, Oregon
Snag and Moon, Lava Cast Forest, Oregon
Arboretum Meadow, Mt. Pisgah Arboretum, Eugene, Oregon
Stump #2, Shore Acres, Oregon
Forest Cathedral, Whitaker Creek, Oregon
Morning Light, Lake Selmac, Oregon
Trees and Moss, Sweet Creek, Oregon
Brush Study, Strawberry Hill, Oregon Coast
Driftwood Beach, Oregon
The Blow, Little Cultus Lake, Oregon
Stump #1, Shore Acres, Oregon
Stump #1 Revisited, Shore Acres, Oregon
Mount Thielsen from Crater Lake, Oregon
Mount Shasta Weed, California
Clouds Along Highway 50, Nevada
Factory Butte, Utah
Stacked Rocks #1, Carmel Beach, California
Stacked Rocks #2, Carmel Beach, California
Eroded Rocks, Smelt Sands, Oregon
"Trail to the Sun", Waldport, Oregon
"Blackwater Reflections", Ona Beach, Oregon
“Raindrops”, Mt. Pisgah Arboretum, Eugene, Oregon
Coos Bay Wagon Road, Oregon
Sunset, Mt. Pisgah Arboretum, Eugene,Oregon
"Floating Bones", Palo Duro Canyon, Texas
Sunset, Yachats, Oregon
Spouting Horn, Cooks Trail, Oregon
Split Stream, North Umpqua River trail, Oregon
Garden Lake Park, Creswell, Oregon
"Umpqua Light", North Umpqua River, Oregon
Near Cougar Reservoir, Oregon
"Violence" at Bear Creek, Oregon
Little Cultus Lake, Oregon
Waldo Lake Pond, Oregon
Alsea Falls, Oregon
Shadows and Streams, Mt. Pisgah Arboretum, Oregon
Snowstorm, Diamond Lake, Oregon
Barn, Kings Valley, Oregon
Happy Hollow Nursery, Mulino, Oregon
Gas Pump at Happy Hollow Nursery, Mulino, Oregon
San Francisco de Asis Parish, Rancho de Taos, New Mexico
Birds Behind, San Francisco de Asis Parish, Rancho de Taos, New Mexico
Return
Mirror Lake, Yosemite National Park
Chasm Falls, Rocky Mountain National park
Silver Falls, Mount Rainier National Park
Mt. Rainier in Winter
Mt. Rainier Peak in Winter
North Cascades National Park
Kangaroo ridge, near North Cascades National Park
Cliff Face, Arches National Park
Wash and Cliff, Arches National Park
Devil's Golf Course, Death Valley National Park
Cottonwood and Cliff, Colorado River near Moab, Utah
Sprouts, Redwood State Park, California
"Old Timer", Warewood Valley, Oregon
"Emergence, The Spider", Warewood Valley, Oregon
Tree Clump, Near Waldport, Oregon
Brush, Palo Duro Canyon, Texas
Snarled Brush, Near Waldport, Oregon
Tree Tunnel, near Waldport, Oregon
Morning, Mt. Pisgah Arboretum, Eugene, Oregon
"Tree of Light", near Five Rivers, Oregon
Morning, Waldo Lake, Oregon
Windblown Trees, Cooks Trail, Oregon
Trees, West Glacier, Montana
"White Death", Hell's Backbone, Escalante, Utah
Patterson State Park, Oregon
Snag and Moon, Lava Cast Forest, Oregon
Arboretum Meadow, Mt. Pisgah Arboretum, Eugene, Oregon
Stump #2, Shore Acres, Oregon
Forest Cathedral, Whitaker Creek, Oregon
Morning Light, Lake Selmac, Oregon
Trees and Moss, Sweet Creek, Oregon
Brush Study, Strawberry Hill, Oregon Coast
Driftwood Beach, Oregon
The Blow, Little Cultus Lake, Oregon
Stump #1, Shore Acres, Oregon
Stump #1 Revisited, Shore Acres, Oregon
Mount Thielsen from Crater Lake, Oregon
Mount Shasta Weed, California
Clouds Along Highway 50, Nevada
Factory Butte, Utah
Stacked Rocks #1, Carmel Beach, California
Stacked Rocks #2, Carmel Beach, California
Eroded Rocks, Smelt Sands, Oregon
"Trail to the Sun", Waldport, Oregon
"Blackwater Reflections", Ona Beach, Oregon
“Raindrops”, Mt. Pisgah Arboretum, Eugene, Oregon
Coos Bay Wagon Road, Oregon
Sunset, Mt. Pisgah Arboretum, Eugene,Oregon
"Floating Bones", Palo Duro Canyon, Texas
Sunset, Yachats, Oregon
Spouting Horn, Cooks Trail, Oregon
Split Stream, North Umpqua River trail, Oregon
Garden Lake Park, Creswell, Oregon
"Umpqua Light", North Umpqua River, Oregon
Near Cougar Reservoir, Oregon
"Violence" at Bear Creek, Oregon
Little Cultus Lake, Oregon
Waldo Lake Pond, Oregon
Alsea Falls, Oregon
Shadows and Streams, Mt. Pisgah Arboretum, Oregon
Snowstorm, Diamond Lake, Oregon
Barn, Kings Valley, Oregon
Happy Hollow Nursery, Mulino, Oregon
Gas Pump at Happy Hollow Nursery, Mulino, Oregon
San Francisco de Asis Parish, Rancho de Taos, New Mexico