The queen of all colours is black. Black and white photography is simple but full of soul. With no distractions, seeing a city in monochrome allows for the focus to be on lighting, on textures, on contrast. I’ve been shooting so much more of my photography in black and white (specifically Acros Yellow JPEGS for you Fuji lovers) and it’s the perfect way to see a city in a completely different light. Cities and people take on an entirely different persona and mood when all of the colour is stripped out.
This post marks the first in my online exhibitions/collections I’m calling ‘The Monochrome Cities’. Pretty self-explanatory but here I’ll be sharing collections of photographs in black and white of cities across the world. It would be terrible of me not to start with my first love, my numero uno, Australia’s number one city; Melbourne. These photographs were all taken towards the start of my travels back in 2017 (you can tell!) but transport me in an instant to some very good times.
I hope you all enjoy looking through these photographs as much as I do. This is the Monochrome Cities: Melbourne.
I like your work here. But black and white is not so simple. Without “focus to be on lighting, on textures, on contrast,” the images don’t work.
Great shots!
Thanks Peter!
I see what you mean. Hopefully my pictures work and I’m always learning!
I live in Melbourne too but not near the city. I always wonder, what do I actually take a photo of…? Do you think familiarity breeds contempt? What would you shoot in the outer suburbs near Cranbourne for example? And please don’t say train line…
I was only in Melbourne for three months but loved just wandering the streets and taking photos of whatever caught my eye. I would certainly say that familiarity probably clouds your vision/creative thoughts – I’d love to see your photos and, from an outsider looking in, even the mundane would interest me!
Great photos ..some look very 1950s. Black and white photos seem to bring out more feeling
Thanks Alison. I love the photos in black and white!