When I think of black and white photos .. I think of the olden days.. like… you know.. my mom and dad’s era and before.. A romantic period of time that was all black and white. The photos were glorious in that you just can not determine when they were taken. There is something so special about them that it makes me want to go back to that time and meet all of the folks in the photos. I think that black and white photos are more interpretive. When photos are in color you can often guess the era and sometimes even the location the photo was taken.
“I think it’s because it was an emotional story, and emotions come through much stronger in black and white. Color is distracting in a way, it pleases the eye but it doesn’t necessarily reach the heart.” – Kim Hunter
I think that is why I love black and white photos. With black and white, you can get away from the distractions and focus on the content. It’s like an Alfred Hitchcock show. When you are not allowed to see all of the details, your mind has to make up what is not obvious. It’s more attractive and more mysterious in my opinion.
A final few of my favorites from the past. Just can’t get enough of the black and whites.
Black and white are the colors of photography. To me they symbolize the alternatives of hope and despair to which mankind is forever subjected.
Robert Frank
I’m in love with red. I think it’s such a passionate color. Every flag of every country pretty much has red it it. It’s power, there’s no fence sitting with red. Either you love it or you don’t. I think its blood and strength and life. I do love red. I love all colors. Great shades of blue, you find them in nature. They’re all magic.
I was very recently nominated to compete in a 5 day B & W Challenge. The goal was to each day pick and post one favorite B & W photo I have taken. Anyone who knows me will absolutely not be surprised that I could not seem to focus on just one thing and therefore did not exactly follow the rules. After perusing over 300 photos I finally narrowed it down to “some” of my favorite photos. I like them so much I thought I would share (and in some cases re-share) the entire grouping here.
These photos represent only a few of my favorites from New York to India. I love them because they express everything from sadness to pure chaos. There is just something about a black and white that is timeless and beautiful. I hope you enjoy.
I love big cities and I love both small and big city streets. I love the sounds, the smells, the people, the buildings and the opportunities you can find when you just keep your eyes open.
Just a few glimpses of some of my most recent street scenes from Vietnam. I decided to focus only on a few of my very favorite black and white shots. There is something about a black and white picture that makes the scene feel timeless. I hope you enjoy.
I see people walking through the city and wonder where they’ve been, and what the moments of their lives have done to them. ― Markus Zusak, Getting the Girl
Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again? ~Winnie the Pooh
“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” ― Franklin D. Roosevelt
“Silent streets have many things to say.” ― Mehmet Murat ildan
I have an affection for a great city. I feel safe in the neighborhood of man, and enjoy the sweet security of the streets. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude. Henry David Thoreau
“A street that you have never visited is a book that you have never read! You never know what you are missing!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan
Never be afraid to sit awhile and think. ~Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun
“Seize the day, then let it go.” ― Marty Rubin
I didn’t attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it. Mark Twain
“The streets have two spirits: One is its own spirit and the other spirit is all the living creatures living in the street!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan
You can observe a lot by just watching. Yogi Berra
“I think of it as the antidote to fast food; it’s the clear alternative to the king, the clown and the colonel. It’s faster, and chances are it’s healthier than something at a traditional fast food restaurant. I would much rather give my money to a neighbor or an individual than to a gigantic corporation that owns half the world. Maybe it’s naïve of me, but I prefer food made by an identifiable human that’s actually cooking.” – Chef, author and TV personality Anthony Bourdain talks to the Huffington Post about his love of street food and his new TV show
The following is a short news clip about Venezuela where I was last working. It’s amazing how quickly street scenes can change. My heart and prayers go out to my Venezuelan friends and it is my hope that street scenes like this will soon disappear.
The weekly photo challenge from March 28 was Street Life. If you have read any of my posts about streets you will know how much I love street art and quotes. Here is a great page that represents a little of both. Take a look. I think you will like it.
Street ART (click on the link to look at more of Banksy quotes and street art photos)
“Graffiti is one of the few tools you have if you have almost nothing. And even if you don’t come up with a picture to cure world poverty you can make someone smile while they’re having a piss.” – Banksy (Banging Your Head Against a Brick Wall)
rfljenksy - Practicing Simplicity 