Telling Stories Through Black and White Photography: Waiting For Food and Fun

Every week Paula of Lost in Translation hosts a fun Black & White Sunday challenge and this week she’s welcomed guest host Allan Hamilton to share his expertise on the subject of narrative black and white photography.  Allan’s guest post is full of great tips for creating engaging images that provoke thought without the distraction of color and I encourage everyone who’s interested in black and white photography to spend a few minutes reading both his post and Paula’s response.

Our challenge is to share photos of people that tell a story and while these two pictures are from different days in Seattle they each capture moments of waiting.  I know what happened before, during and after the photo of Ryan and my niece Ava waiting for lunch but the empty table and chessboard in Westlake Park could have dozens of interpretations.  I wish I knew who started the game and who eventually sat down to finish it on a hot summer day in the middle of the city.

Processed with VSCOcam with lv02 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with b6 preset

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Black and White Animals: Heidi

Black and White Animals

I’ve never met a Lab who didn’t love playing at the beach.  The combination of water, sticks, sand, other dogs and stinky things to roll in make for a fun-filled afternoon and a happy, sleepy dog who goes to bed early is pretty nice too.

Posted as part of Cee’s Black & White Challenge:  Animals.

Lisa20 Comments

Black & White Tuesday

B&W Doors and Windows 1

B&W Doors and Windows 2

The theme for Sonel’s final black and white challenge was windows and doors.  I have really enjoyed taking time to look at my photos in a new way every week and even though Sonel will no longer be accepting submissions to her weekly group I want to continue posting a few of my own black and white images every Tuesday.

These two photos are of the  Glacier Public Service Center and Ranger Station in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.  We stopped here on our way to visit Mt. Baker and Artist’s Point last weekend to purchase a car pass and pick up some field guides before driving up to the highest point of public access on the mountain.   I couldn’t resist walking around the stone building looking for old doors and interesting angles while everyone else was inside listening to the Park Rangers…

Lisa10 Comments

Black and White Weekly Challenge: Texture

B&W Texture

For the current theme of Texture over at Sonel’s Corner I have one more image to share from my walk last week.  These tree branches looked so pretty arching over a stone wall that Ryan and I both stopped in the shade to take a few pictures before continuing down the steep hill to the waterfront.

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Black and White Weekly Challenge: Upward

This piece of brushed steel public art is so large the only way to capture the details is by looking upward.

Posted as part of Sonel’s Weekly Black and White Weekly Photo Challenge: Upward

Lisa21 Comments

Black and White Weekly Challenge: Abstract

Sonel’s newest theme for her Black and White Challenge series is the word “Abstract”.

B&W Abstract 1

B&W Abstract 3

I really like how these simple shades of black and white accentuate the abstract, natural shapes in this sea star and driftwood stump in the San Juan Islands.

Lisa45 Comments

Black and White Weekly Challenge: Family

B&W Family

Last summer we decided to stay close to home and try a touristy “staycation” in the Seattle area instead of leaving town during the best part of the year.  We filled our house with family and spent a great weekend exploring Seattle, The Pike Place Market, taking a Ride the Ducks Tour and having water balloon fights in the backyard.

My sister always has fun party ideas and last year she designed and printed matching t-shirts for the group.  After breakfast the dads and cousins headed outside to practice their synchronized tourist point…

Posted as part of the lovely Sonel’s Black and White Weekly Challenge:  Family

Lisa21 Comments

Black and White Photo Challenge: Toys

B&W Toys 1

Look what happens when I ask for help with a photo challenge.

The boys bring out their old toys and add zombies….

Posted as part of Sonel’s Corner Black and White Weekly Photo Challenge:  Toys

Lisa23 Comments

Black and White Weekly Photo Challenge: Bridges

The third week of Sonel’s black and white challenge asks us to show the word “Bridge”.

A very unhappy Ryan "enduring" the bridge between our old house and our new home.
A very unhappy Ryan watching the bridge between our old house and our new home.
Early morning on the bridge to the fishing pier in Edmonds.
Early morning on the bridge to the fishing pier in Edmonds.
Ryan and his cousin Emma walking from Grandpa's boat to Orcas Island.
Ryan and his cousin Emma walking from Grandpa’s boat to Orcas Island.

For more unique interpretations of bridge please visit Sonel’s Corner and her Black and White Challenge:  Bridge.

Lisa9 Comments

My Neighborhood in Black and White

I was happy to discover Sonel’s Corner a few days ago and today I decided to jump in and post my first entry in her new black and white photo challenge. The themes are suggested by readers and this week is set aside for images of your neighborhood. I’ve posted photos of what I loosely consider my neighborhood before but this time I am trying a more literal approach and have limited myself to shots only from my street. Maybe the black and white treatment will make them look more interesting…

To see more Black and White Neighborhoods take a look at Sonel’s Corner and the new Black and White Weekly Photo Challenge.

Lisa20 Comments