Remembering the first time I shot monochrome

The Three Graces
London, ON
October 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Whenever I shoot monochrome, I’m taken back to the very first time 12-year-old me signed out a 35mm pocket camera at camp and spent the next couple of hours shooting my first ever b&w roll.

I remember first wondering how I would capture all the shades of green in the hills north of Montreal with a color-blind camera. But as I continued my solo walk through the silent woods, I started to notice shapes, textures, and shades. And something went click in my head.

As it turned out, the camera wasn’t color-blind at all. Black, white, and grey are colors, too, and as I played with the controls on this remarkable machine, I quickly learned that filtering the world this way can be an eye-opening process. All I had to do was shift my attitude a little.

As you may have guessed, I was hooked, and to this day I’ll often deliberately force myself to shoot monochrome, just because.

And to think it all began with a single walk through the woods, and a search for shape, texture, and tones amid the overgrown tree line. Some things never change.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #tree #trees #thames #river #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #monochrome #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins