Anne Sandler is our guest hostess this week, (thanks, Anne), asking us for black and white photos. I remember when there were only black and white photos (as well as film and no digital.) So I’m taking a break from watching the replay of stage 13 of the Tour de France to gather some of my favorite black and white photos. Not true; I’m doing both. ๐
Anne asked us to talk about our post-processing but I do virtually none and have no fancy editing apps. Here’s what I told her in response to her post:
“Some were taken with an iPhone and other than cropping, sometimes adding a frame or vignette, or making them black and white, I do very little. I donโt have Lightroom, Nik or any of those things. I use Picasa (free) or Pixlr (also free.)”
One of my favorite photos is this lone grocery cart in the middle of a flooded parking area in Naperville, Illinois.

A quiet moment in the Art Institute of Chicago, rendered in black and white. I love the sweep of the staircase and the single woman making her way down.

Shell and shadow on a beach at Cape May, New Jersey.

A foggy morning in Cape May. I waited for the ghostly carriage to come careening through the mist but I waited, thankfully, in vain.

If there’d been a deer nearby, I could have had a photo of a literal deer in the headlight but it, like the coach above, never materialized.

As always, thanks so much for visiting and for commenting. The conversation makes it all worthwhile because I love to know what you think, what you like, why you like it, and what it makes you think about.
So swiftly off the mark, Janet! Love the sweeping staircase, and there’s a kind of pathos to the shell in black and white. Have a great weekend!
They published all the July themes in advance, which I love because I don’t usually want to take time on a Saturday to put together a post. Glad you enjoyed the result and enjoy your weekend!
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These are so beautiful, Janet, I love that photo of the staircase in the museum.
Thanks, Dan. I love that one myself.
That shell capture is certainly amazing ๐
Thanks, Hammad, I’m happy you like it.
I particularly love your Art Institute of Chicago shot and the two from Cape May – all of them perfect for the B&W treatment ๐
Thanks, Sarah. It’s hard for me to choose a favorite from these but the Art Institute shot just seems classic to me.
These are all so stunning, I couldn’t possibly pick a favorite. There’s something about the black and white treatment that makes every moment seem so dramatic, crystallized as the single most important part of the world.
I love color but I agree that black and white seems more dramatic and it highlights different things than color does.
Oh, that grocery cart looks lonely. I love the long shadow of the shell image and the moody Cape May image. Nice choices for this challenge, Janet.
Thanks, Deborah. I’m happy you liked them. That grocery cart did look lonely and was in the center of an enormous area of water.
Beautiful photos! Like them all!
Many thanks, Aletta. ๐
wow, Janet! The stair is stunning and the foggy morning ๐
Thanks very much. I’m sure you’ll have some beauties and I’ll be by to check soon. The morning I took the foggy shot was one filled with wonderful photos. ๐
You’re welcome, Janet. Mornings, especially when with a little fog, are so rewarding. ๐
Definitely. Fog makes everything that might be considered ordinary (even if it isn’t) mysterious. And morning is my favorite time of day, which is a good thing now that we live in Arizona where the “coolest” time of day is just before sunrise. ๐
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All of these images are beautiful examples of what can be done in black and white. I love the staircase and shell. My favorite is the lone shopping cart. Black and white processing helped dramatize the scene. But, you left out your processing workflow! Amazing work Janet.
Thanks very much, Anne. As one of my favorite Tolkien quotes says: “Praise from the praise-worthy is beyond all rewards.” โ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers
The lone shopping cart is one of my favorite shots of all time. ๐
I just added what I put in my comment to you to my post so I now have information on the little I do. ๐
These black and white -photos are excellent, and I, too, love that shopping cart!!!! Thanks for sharing all of these.
Stunning black and white images. The quiet moment in the Art Institute of Chicago, wow!!!
Thanks so much, Amy! Iโm always happy when you like my images. I hope your weekend is going well.
Great choices! I really like the stairs and the sea shell.
Thanks, John. I like those two as well. I generally prefer color but then when I see how good b&w can look, I think I should try it a bit more. Digital makes it so easy, of course. ๐
janet
Fun variety and witty notes
And my too two photos are the cart and those stairs – oh so unique and artsy
Thanks, Yvette. Glad you enjoyed the photos and the narration. ๐
I really like the stairway and the shell. There’s something special about the shopping cart in water too
Thanks very much. ๐ I like those three a lot as well.
janet
Yours may be my favorite response to this weekโs challenge Janet – really terrific. Loved the cart image, very creative!
What a wonderful compliment, Tina! You made my day and maybe week. ๐
GREAT shots. Love the shopping cart!
Thanks very much, John. โค
Hahahaha!!! Lovin’ that first shot!
The staircase and framed shots are smashing!
Great B&W presentation, Janet!
Many thanks, Resa. Always good to hear from you.