I confess that I have developed a particular fondness for black and white photography. Color is nice.  But I could spend days reveling within the range artistic possibilities of this image, alone.  I find the subtleties of form and shadow to be utterly engaging.  Working within the "digital darkroom," I'm able to create a gamut of emotional responses, just by making slight alterations within the scene.

I took this photo along the western border of New Mexico, near a town that is now all-but-abandoned.  This photo strikes a particular chord with me.  It's a juxtaposition.  Playgrounds are supposed to be these fun, inviting places.  But this one is desolate and foreboding.  I like how the white sands of the foreground actually make the mountains feel welcoming; like a place you ought to be.  Our brains are forced to snap us back into reason -- we're reminded that the environs become increasingly inhospitable beyond the bounds of the playground.

This photo is near to what I originally visualized.  Though at the time, I was undecided as to whether I would create a black-and-white image, or experiment with merely fading the colors to a fraction of their original vibrancy.  For now, I've opted to focus my efforts on conveying the emotion I intended.  I found that black and white was best for this.

This photo is essentially a true representation of what was there.  I've made slight adjustments to channels and levels within Photoshop, employing techniques that are reasonably reproducible in a traditional chemical darkroom.