**Welcome to the Black and White Photography thread #6 for (9 March 2025)**

Welcome to the Black and White Photography thread #6 for (9 March 2025)
We’re dedicated to fostering discussions about Black and White photography. This open peer-to-peer forum allows critical feedback on images, leading to discussions on techniques, styles, interpretation, and storytelling. The first few weeks response has been outstanding - keep them coming.

It’s easy - To participate: post an image or essay with a title, short description, and explanation. All comments must include the image or essay as a quote. Replies may or may not include quotes.

THREAD GUIDELINES:
1. This thread is for learning about Black and White photography.
2. Post one image or photo essay for comments.
3. Entries can be single images or short photo essays (3 to 10 connected images that tell a story).
4. Give your entry a clear title and explain why you took it and the story it tells.
5. Provide constructive feedback on others’ images/essays.
6. Go beyond simple praise or dismissal.
7. Explain why you like an image or essay.
8. Negative feedback is welcome (be polite, honest, and constructive).
9. Stay on topic and avoid politics or distractions.

We refine our skill-craft through feedback - Analyzing prints pinned on the virtual wall is our approach, but discussions of styles and techniques are also acceptable. While most images are captured digitally, Black and White film can also discussed. The focus is on image.

Post a photo or photo essay and get comments and feedback. In return, give honest but constructive opinions of others’ images. A simple “like” is insufficient. There are multiple levels of feedback: composition, technique, emotion and storytelling, etc.
What caught your eye about an image and why? What draws you in and what distracts you? What changes would you make? Does the photographer tell their story? Does the image communicate their viewpoint or emotion? As W. Eugene Smith said, “A photo is a small voice, at best, but sometimes – just sometimes – one photograph or a group of them can lure our senses into awareness.” Does the image meet Smith’s criteria?

Explore the image in your head, considering composition, perspective, toning, balance, exposure, and tonality. Consider the story, emotion or opinion the artist is trying to communicate. Provide feedback.

Downloading and reposting - (please note: clear instructions are required).
It’s often challenging to verbalize useful comments about images. Instead, it’s easier to “show.” Unless the original poster specifically states otherwise, participants are free to download, alter, and repost images in replies to express their analysis and critique. The reposted image may remain permanently or be removed after a short period. Downloaded and altered images shall not be used for other purposes or uploaded elsewhere.

Encouragement - When I first pinned a print on the cork-board for the professor and class to analyze, I was apprehensive. However, it proved to be an effective way to learn and develop my skills and vision. Well reasoned analysis and comments aid the artist in improving their vision, skill, and style. The goal is to promote and encourage people to enhance their artistic vision and skill in Black and White Photography by providing constructive feedback. General feedback is also welcome. Sharing techniques for capturing or processing images that aid in creating good Black and White images or photo essays is appreciated in replies.

Why focus on Black and White - As Elliott Erwitt said, “Color is descriptive. Black and White is interpretive.” It’s an abstraction that simplifies photography by focusing on composition, forms, shapes, tonality, textures, and emotions. Ansel Adams famously said, “You don’t take a photograph, you make a photograph.”

Clyde Butcher talks about the hundreds of photographers who flock to Inspiration Point in Yosemite National Park for the “golden hour.” However, the composition at sunrise is poor. For Black and White, it’s not about the color of the light, but the quality of the light. Ansel Adams arrived midmorning when the light was “right” to produce his iconic images. His iconic book, “Yosemite and the Range of Light,” had a significant impact on conservation and environmental movements in the West. It also attracts thousands of photographers each year to capture the “Range of Light.”

clydebutcher.com

Nick Ut’s “Napalm Girl” captured the horrors of the Vietnam War and profoundly impacted the United States. Stripped of distractions, the image exposed the terror in the children’s faces, prompting critical questioning of government actions. W. Eugene Smith’s “Minamata” warned the world. It exposed a corporation poisoning water and killing residents, highlighting the suffering of the Minamata community for profit. William Henry Jackson’s photographs convinced Congress to preserve Yellowstone as the first national park, leading to the creation of the National Park Service and commitment to wild land preservation.

aboutphotography.blog/blog/the-terror-of-war-nick-uts-napalm-girl-1972
www.magnumphotos.com/arts-culture/society-arts-culture/w-eugene-smith-minamata-warning-to-the-world/
www.pbagalleries.com/first-photographic-images-of-yellowstone/

Black and White strips away distractions to expose emotions. It tells unique stories in various photographic genres, from landscapes to social documentaries to portraiture. Check out Annie Leibovitz’s Black and White work.

blog.artsper.com/en/a-closer-look/why-artists-choose-black-and-white-photography/
fstoppers.com/fashion/why-its-still-important-shoot-black-and-white-48141
www.designspiration.com/save/1600176374707/

Another resource is the “Daybooks of Edward Weston,” though dated, still relevant.

Additional Resources - It is encouraged to discuss additional resources on Black and White photography in posts, whether in your images or commenting on others’ when those resources aid in the goals of the thread.

Growing Together - The Black and White thread focuses on growth and learning together. Be active, honest, and respectful.

Lock House

" With a three-mule team he winds his way
Through the Pawpaw Tunnel, about mid-day
Passing locks in the rain and fog
His thoughts on nights
At the Salty Dog

Hey, hey, hey -- lock ready!
Oh, hey -- hey, lock!
These words like the lock-house, covered in time
Live on for us in an old man's mind
Never, no more, on the C & O Canal Line
"

A John Staling song - celebrating the unique and era of American history as an introduction to the image below.
Up the Potomac along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal about 75 miles Northwest of Washington DC, the Potomac runs
clear and cold and some of the best fly fishing anywhere. Not far from one of my favorite fishing holes and camping spots of
all times is this old lock houses. The C&O Canal is not a national historic park that runs from Washington DC to Cumberland, MD 180 miles away.

Taken in 1981 on a Mamiya RB 67 on Kodak PanX developed in Rodinal 1:100 partial stand.

In a similar vein to the Lock House, an old barn in the Mississippi delta, found while exploring a dirt road and looking for cotton fields to photograph. It was common in the 1800s and first half of the 1900s to construct barns out of logs like this. The barn on my old farm, now sadly gone, was much like this one but with open wings on the sides.

Gold.

Vampire

There is a colony of thousands of fruit bats in the trees alongside the river at a local town about 10k's away (many locals not too impressed as they make a bit of a mess).
Anyways, I was taking a couple of the moon and I thought I saw a bird fly across. Then another and another so I waited and managed to get a couple in front of the moon. It wasn't until I looked at the images that I realised they were fruit bats. What's the odds that they flew in my direction and some passed in front of the moon?

I really like this one. I have a few barns that I'll roll out, Some might see this as "overcooked." However, look at it larger and the texture and beauty of the old logs tells the story of something important being sacrificed for the progress of man. Nice work.

Bryan interesting juxtaposition and almost eerie - especially when viewed large. Good catch.

Nice capture Mike. I particularly like the aspect ratio to match the proportions of the waiter. Makes one wonder to where is the delivering the beer.

Building Reflections

One modern glass tower reflecting its neighbours across the road to create an interesting graphic pattern.

Yes, that is eerie, especially as it is not immediately clear what is in front of the moon. An alien spacecraft? A vampire? Or, as you say, a fruit bat? I would definitely take saome garlic next time. Just to be sure!
You have managed to catch the tonality and structure of the Moon nicely, as it is easy to underestimate its brightness and speed.

The processing is good and works well with this subject. It makes it look like a pencil or ink drawing, which I like in this case.

A very quaint little cottage in beautiful light, and you have brought out the texture in the walls, which are set off well against the dark grass and trees.

I like the composition, which emphasises the direction of the waiter, who is taking a giant and confidant step through the door, whilst still carefully balancing a tray of drinks on his outstretched fingers!

It's not a cabin, but it could be if you squint your eyes really hard.

The only reason I'm including this one is because I used a color polarizer. The sky was a pretty deep blue and I wanted to see how it handled that in B&W.

Steve Thomas

Well done. Hammer films required teams of specialists for a shot like this.

We were camped overnight in the park. I got up early to head to my favorite fishing hole to catch breakfast. Yea I know an optimist but that stretch of the Potomac was the perfect habitat for small mouth bass and brown trout who liked to eat at dawn and I knew the exact fly they would like to eat. As I am coming back with breakfast, I noticed the sun high enough that it was coming through the trees to the East which spotlit this old lock house. It must have just been painted since it was bright white. The light was very directional that it cast shadows between the stones.

I could not resist and I knew this light would not last long. I grabbed my camera and tripod and quickly got set up and shot this. Breakfast that morning was very rewarding. 😉

Night time transport in London

Taken back in December 23 on a night out near Covent Garden. These guys were riding these brightly coloured bikes and blaring out load music all the time. The bikes were brightly lit and full of colour, so obviously black and white makes sense :-)

Creepy and creative. Also very well done.