The Monochrome Challenge
Five monochrome photographs in five days on Facebook. This was the gauntlet laid down to me by photographer Steven Kelly. This gave me the chance to delve into the archives and revisit favourite old shots and explore why they are etched in my memory. Click the images to enlarge
Day one: Towards West Pier from March 2012, one of the first shots published on mikeosbornphoto. Brighton’s skeletal structure is often photographed, while the figures on the stone jetty make it look distant. It’s timeless in monochrome and reminds me of a coastal visit on an unusually warm day.
Day Two: Towards the Mountain. Taken on the Spanish island of Fuerteventura in May 2013. It’s not just a holiday playground but endowed with dramatic landscapes. The lone figure trudging across the sand makes this memorable for me.
Day Three: Wapping Portico. A shot from 2012 of a covered walkway in the affluent riverside area of London. The shadows and sense mystery made it clear that architecture is a favourite area of mine.
Day Four: Elegant descent. A swirling, beautiful design at London’s Tate Britain gallery which naturally lends itself to monochrome treatment. This is a piece of work that needs to be photographed.
Day Five: Contemplation. I picked a recent photo to complete my five shots, from the Tower of London on Armistice Day when the moat was filled with ceramic poppies. The scarlet has gone to add emphasis on the young woman’s expression and the capture of a moment.
And then the challenge is passed onto someone else, like a pleasantly creative chain letter. I asked Richard Cooper-Knight to choose his monochrome five, which he has published on his blog.
If anyone fancies a nomination, I will happily provide one!
mikeosbornphoto 
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Those stairs are amazing.
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Thanks Gavin. They’re already amazing, you just have to find the right place to stand!
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They’re still great images, Mike, and thank you for the nod! :D
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Thanks Richard and you’re most welcome.
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Great collection Mike. I love the stairway, as you say, it HAS to be photographed!
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Thank you Noeline. This involved a daily post on Facebook for five days in a row – respect to the 365 photographers out there!
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A good set – the stand out one is the Tate Britain staircase. Not easy to photograph (I know, I’ve tried), but that’s a great image and it looks superb in B&W. wide angle I’m guessing, <24mm.
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Thanks Andy. I didn’t use a wide lens but found a nifty angle upstairs. It simply needs to be photographed.
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All of these images are great in mono, but I especially like the last with the emphasis on the young woman’s face, would have been more distracted by the red of the poppies in colour. And of course the swirling staircase at the Tate is a must for B&W.
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Thank you Lee, I think the staircase almost comes in mono anyway! I need to browse through your photos from Morocco and Turkey tomorrow… looking forward to that :)
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Not that many up, and a bit hit and miss while I was on the tour. I’m still going through the thousands I took and trying to get them down to a manageable size.
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Wow, it’s easy to get very snap-happy in those countries. There’s something at every turn. It will be good picking out your favourite sets.
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This is a good set of five, with plenty of variety. Day 1 is my favourite, with Day 2 a close second. I’m now going to look at my Fuerteventura photos, to see whether I like any of them in mono. Thanks for the prompt.
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Thank you kindly, Dave. Fuerteventura’s blue skies don’t have to be blue – I’d like to see your results.
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I’ve found one, without the blue skies, but sadly, without the lone figure either. Maybe some receding mountains instead. Keep an eye open for it. :)
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I’ll keep my eyes skinned!
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It’s not going to be as good as yours!
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Let’s see first :)
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Five great images Mike…..but I really like the first because of the light. The last one is interesting….turning the red poppies monochrome yellow/sepia….but it does work to help focus on the couple.
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Thank you, Mark. West Pier is one of my old favourites. To be honest, I was tiring of the scarlet when it came to that poppy shot, but also felt it would place the emphasis on the couple.
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