It’s not often I shoot in black and white, but sometimes a photo just looks better in monochrome. Maybe the colors are drab, or it just needs more drama. Here are some of my favorite monochrome photos.
Top photo: “Barberville Falls Monochrome,” Poestenkill, NY – April 14, 2014
I chose to make the photo black and white because the scene was already pretty devoid of color and the monochrome made it more dramatic.
“Château de Chambord, Loire Valley, France,” Chambord, France – April 2004
This scene already had a monochromatic feel to it, so the black and white conversion made sense.
“Robert Frost’s Mysterious Feline Friend,” Bennington VT – March 20, 2010
A serendipitous shot of a cat exploring Robert Frost’s grave.
“Inside the Musée d’Orsay,” Paris, France – April 11, 2012
An interesting shot looking through the clock to the outside.
“Cabaret de la Bohème,” Paris, France – April 9, 2012
I have a color version of this photo hanging in my living room, but before I processed it in color I processed it in this cross-processed tone.
“Central Park in Monochrome,” New York, NY – March 3, 2013
A scene in Central Park that just looked more intriguing in black and white.
“Partners Forever,” Walt Disney World, FL – April 1, 2013
The Partners statue of Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney looks down Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom.
“At the Training Track,” Saratoga Springs, NY – August 11, 2014
A photo I took of a horse and exercise rider at the Oklahoma Training Track.
“Lincoln Baths,” Saratoga Springs, NY – October 26, 2014
The black and white conversion added so much drama to this photo.
“Stormy Skies Over Manhattan,” New York, NY – May 9, 2015
A scene I captured from the Ellis Island ferry.
“Ellis Island of Yore,” New York, NY – May 9, 2015
This photo of an old piano was begging for sepia treatment.
“Thoughtful Monkey,” Walt Disney World, FL – April 8, 2015
I think this monkey looks like he is looking down at his phone.
“What’s On Tonight?,” Burbank, CA – February 15, 2016
This movie theater on the Warner Brothers backlot has been seen in an incredible variety of movies and tv shows over the years. Some of them include The Way We Were, A Star is Born (Judy Garland version), Gilmore Girls, Pretty Little Liars, Big Bang Theory, and The Artist. The black and white treatment gives it a more vintage look.
“Paramount Theatre,” Seattle, WA – July 19, 2016
Seattle’s Paramount Theatre dates back to vaudeville, where a young Judy Garland performed with her sisters in the early 1930s.
“The First Photo of 2017,” – Saratoga Springs, NY – January 1, 2017
This was my first photo of 2017. The snow was pouring down just after midnight and I went out on my balcony to get this shot. This is actually a full color shot but it just looks monochrome.
“Lake Louise at Night in Monochrome,” Lake Louise, AB – July 15, 2015
I created this treatment in an effort to diversify my collection of Lake Louise photos.
“Quincy,” Gansevoort, NY – December 1, 2018
This portrait of Quincy looked more dramatic when put in black and white.
“Trumpeter at Palm Court,” New Orleans, LA – November 16, 2018
I had already posted a shot of this trumpeter in color, so I went monochrome to change things up.
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