All images by Dennis Ramos. Used with permission.

“Unlike most architectural and landscape photographs, my images involve a lot of long exposure, minimal compositions, and monochrome conversions.” says photographer Dennis Ramos about how he actually creates the images that he does. “I use this method to emphasize my subjects. Furthermore, color can become a distraction in my compositions so converting to black and white creates a more visual impact to the viewers.”

Dennis is the man behind the Preatextus image project that uses a 16 stop ND filter and conversions to create the very surreal images. According to Dennis, the ND filter makes the sky and water look silky smooth. The long exposure and black and white techniques combined help him separate and focus more on the subject.

“It does takes a lot of time and practice to get comfortable doing long exposures.” says Dennis. “I do experiment at times to add-in human elements or other living things to my composition.” Dennis continues to state that adding other elements in-camera is a challenge as it is in post-production when using methods such as blend-ins, composites, or multiple exposures.

For Dennis, geometric lines and shapes catch his attention–especially when shooting architectural scenes. “I usually shoot an hour before sunset to get the best contrast.” explains Dennis. “The lights and shadows during this time brings out more drama and mood in the scene.” Whatever pleases Dennis’ eyes are what motivates him to shoot.

“And of course, Whenever I shoot and create these images, I always have the intention to print it, hung it, and contemplate on it.”