All the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow
Leo Tolstoy
The theme at yesterday’s meeting of the Ealing group of London Independent Photographers was ‘Light and Dark’. We each showed a series of images with our own interpretation of that theme. One person had a series taken in churches, with the beautiful light through stained glass windows, touching on the theme of light and dark within religion. Another, just back from a visit to Seville, had put together several photos from that trip which showed the play of sunlight on the architecture of the city. A third had some grainy, atmospheric shots taken around London.
For my contribution I decided to edit some of my travel photos in high contrast black and white. Taken in various parts of the world, the theme that tied them together as a series was the use of an arch to frame the scene. The photos were well received by my friends in the group so I thought, as we have a theme-free Monochrome Madness week, I would post them here. I hope you like them too!
First view of the Taj Mahal
Bundi Palace, Rajasthan
The Temple of Heaven, Beijing
The Shah-i-Zinda, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
[not an arch, I know!]
In the Medina of Marrakesh
Telouet Kasbah, High Atlas mountains, Morocco
The Louvre, Paris
The Louvre Pyramid, Paris
In Bologna, Italy
Favourite shots among the group included the Taj Mahal, Telouet Kasbah and Bundi Palace. Please tell me in the comments which you like best (if any!).
49 Comments
equinoxio21
Grand shots, “comme toujours”.
Question: does visiting Rajahstan involve long driving hours on pot-holed roads? 😉
(I keep doubting about India)
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you, also ‘comme toujours’ 😊 Yes, we covered a lot of ground in Rajasthan, mostly by road (one train journey). The roads are chaotic – not just pot-holes but an apparent total absence of rules, although our driver, who was excellent, told us that the system works because everyone understands that there are no rules and anything goes, so they’re prepared for anything! I wouldn’t dream of driving myself there but with Mehar at the wheel I felt pretty safe and loved our long drives with so much activity to observe all the time 🙂
equinoxio21
It does sound like I imagined… Total lack of rules actually works: everybody is always on the lookout.
I remember in Kenya, a funny sign on the bumper of a car:
“Caution: Indian driver.” The gentleman at the wheel was indeed a Sikh… 😉
wetanddustyroads
Excellent photos Sarah! I have two favourite photos – the one in Morocco and the other one in the Medina of Marrakesh. So, it seems like an all-Africa affair 😉.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 😊 An all-Morocco one in fact!
grandmisadventures
I love these pictures. My favorite is probably from the Louve- I just love how the detail pops in black and white
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Keg 😃 I often think B&W brings out details you don’t notice in colour.
Leanne Cole
These look great Sarah, a really interesting challenge.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Leanne 😀
Annie Berger
I’ve always been a fan of taking arch shots, so I was happy to see your own partial collection. My favorite was Telouet Kasbah, perhaps because we haven’t visited that area of Morocco, or yet at least!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Annie 🙂 You two would love the High Atlas region, I am sure!
Annie Berger
I hope we can travel there someday!
margaret21
The Medina and Bologna perhaps? All marvellously evocative though.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Margaret 😊 I’m fond of the Medina shot but was less sure about Bologna so I’m pleased you picked that one out!
margaret21
It was a winner for me!
Amy
Remarkable photos! The lighting is incredible.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Amy 😊 I did play around in the editing to get the lighting as I wanted it!
Rose
These are all so beautiful Sarah, and appear somewhat more holy/solemn/sacred(?) to me in light and dark images. I agree with your favorite choices. 🤍🖤
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Rose for that interesting observation 😊
norasphotos4u
Exquisite photos!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Nora 🙂
Sylvia
Wonderful selection of your photos for this post and challenge! The arches do indeed make great framing for the photos, and I can’t help but love the architectural beauty of them as well! Great work, Sarah!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Sylvia, and I’m glad you like the architecture 😊
Marie
The 2 from Morocco are top of my list…. I’m sure your friends loved them all….
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Marie 😊
Graham Stephen
splendid!
⬻𓂀✧ 🔺 ✬ღ☆ 🔺 ∞ ♡ ∞ 🔺 ☆ღ✬ 🔺 ✧𓂀⤖
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Graham 🙂
Marie
Wonderful shots. The Bundi Palace is incredible. It seems to open onto the world.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Marie – that’s one of my own favourites, I have to admit 😊 I was so pleased that guy chose to sit in that spot, and the early morning haze on the hills behind added to the scene.
Marie
One of those perfect moments.
Vicki
What a superb series of Black & White. So beautifully composed within the archways.
Love the Moroccan one. Perfectly shot (and edited also).
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much Vicki 😊 I really appreciate your feedback.
Egídio
Sarah, your compositions are always stunning.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Egidio 😊
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
I think the Taj Mahal as it’s a sort of commentary on modern life. Phones aloft!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anabel 🙂 You’re right about the phones, although I suspect in the case of the Taj people will have been pausing at that spot to take a photo ever since photography was invented! Your first sight of it just takes your breath away. I made a virtue of the fact that I had to wait for the people in front to pass through before I could take the photo I thought I really wanted, of the Taj framed WITHOUT the crowd, only to find that in some ways I like this version better because it’s more unusual 😆
restlessjo
The Bundi Palace is the standout for me. Seems the presence of a solitary person elevates the shot in a couple of cases. Like them all, Sarah xx
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Jo 🙂 I was very grateful that guy decided to perch just there!
Dawn M. Miller
For me, the image “In the Medina of Marrakesh” really exemplifies the theme in this assortment.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Dawn 🙂 It’s always interesting to hear which ones people pick out as favourites and even more so when they explain why!
bushboy
These are so good Sarah, the contrast of the arch and scene works so well. My favourite is Telouet Kasbah. I have the same photo of that colonnade in Bologna 😁
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Brian 😊 Are you sure it’s the same colonnade – they have so many there!!
bushboy
Is it this one
http://bushboy54.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/20210117_blog-challenge_square_up_colonnade_bologna_italy-e1674540923977.jpg
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, I think you’re right, it’s the same one – outside a bank if I remember rightly 🙂
isaiah46ministries
I like them all, but the one of the Louvre with the guy walking towards it reminds me of our visit to Paris a year ago. The line was too long to enter it, but we enjoyed being there .
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 🙂 Despite many visits to Paris (around 15 I think!) I have never been in the Louvre. It’s not that I don’t want to, but there are always things we want to do more. That ‘guy’ by the way is my husband, obligingly walking through the arch so I could get this photo!
Sue
These are wonderful Sarah! Right up my street, and I especially like the Moroccan and the Samarkand ones
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Sue 🙂 Yes, I can see this style would appeal to you, based on some of your own work.
Sue
Quite!