Life in Black and White

Photography has always been a passion of mine. There's something about working the controls of a camera to output your desired image that is so rewarding. I am not the only one with this passion in my flat, and as young adults living in university halls, covering walls with photos is one of the only ways we are allowed to decorate. This year, my flatmates and I decided we would like to cover an entire wall with black and white photos.

Turns out that is a lot of photos.

I hadn't really experimented with the different picture styles on my camera. Generally I stick to Standard, sometimes moving to Faithful if I'm feeling fancy but for this project I needed Monochrome.

Taking photos in black and white is fun. I learnt to view the world in a different way, but it was also like learning to use a camera again. Gradually learning the best settings to capture the shadows, the highlights, the emotion. Black and white photos just have a different vibe, sometimes they show a story better than any colour photo could. Less clutter, less distraction, but still just as pleasing to look at. Sometimes it can completely change the mood of an image, while looking through old photos I could potentially monochrome-ify, I noticed how the feelings associated with an image changes. Not necessarily a dark change, but a change non the less.

Shooting in black and white is interesting. It's a welcome challenge to the controls I have learnt over the years working in colour. I would encourage anyone to give it a go, you might surprise yourself with the outcomes. And if you also decide to cover your walls with black and white photos, maybe don't pick the biggest wall, or you'll be in for long monochromatic journey.