Shelves of cups and saucers, pots and a kettle
Monochrome Madness,  Photographic techniques,  Themed galleries

Gallery: Monochrome Madness, seeing everyday objects in black and white

April 17, 2024 / 63 Comments

Surely it is in the everyday things around us that the beauty of life lies

Laura Ingalls Wilder

It would be unusual if we weren’t motivated to pick our camera when we see a beautiful flower, an awe-inspiring landscape, an attractive or characterful person, an elegant building. But it would be a shame to restrict our photography only to those more obvious subjects. We can also look for the photogenic in everyday objects, looking at them with fresh eyes to appreciate their forms and textures.

I’m talking here about inanimate objects, such as household equipment and clothing. They can be objects from your own every day or that of others, perhaps people you’ve encountered while travelling. And they can be present day objects or items that were used in the past, perhaps spotted in a museum or historic house.

Markets are a good source of inspiration for subjects of this kind too. Or you could simply wander around your own home and find items that inspire you by their shape and form. And while the colours of these objects can often be a draw, for this Monochrome Madness challenge I’m putting those aside to focus on those other attributes.

I’d love to see your images of everyday objects in monochrome. Do please remember to tag your post Monochrome Madness so it is easy to find in the reader. And if you decide to join in, please leave a comment with a link below, as pingbacks rarely work on my site.

Do also check out Leanne’s Monochrome Madness page to learn more about this fun challenge. Maybe you’d like to host a theme from time to time? If so, do contact Leanne via her page.

All my images were shot originally in colour and edited with Silver Efex Pro. For some I’ve used a sepia or copper filter to heighten the sense of age.

Shelves with crockery and bread and cake tins

In the 1940s farmhouse in Beamish, England

[for more photos of Beamish, a living history museum, see my post, Stepping back in time]

Old metal colander on a draining board by a window

In the kitchen of Karen Blixen’s home near Nairobi, Kenya

Shelf with metal bowls and other containers

In a family home near Samsara, Rajasthan, India

Old sewing machine with scissors and fabric

In the same home near Samsara, Rajasthan, India

Old kitchen scales with a pineapple in the pan

In a coffee shop in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Broom outside a house in Monopoli, Italy

Broom leaning against a stone wall
Straw hat hanging on a wooden wall
Straw hat hanging on a door

Amish hat in the Menno-Hof Museum in Shipshewana, Indiana; and another in Monopoli, Italy

Pile of small dried beans with a large full can

Tin of beans in Salalah market, Oman

Coffeepot in Oman

Slim pot with metal lid and spout
Patterned ceramic cup and teapot on a stone wall

Cup and teapot, Uzbekistan

Old metal kettle on a stand over a fire

Kettle on a fire outside a home in Phou Taen Khamu, a minority village in Laos

Salt and pepper pots in a wire basket with a small painting of a skull

In a café in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico

[the owner, an artist, has placed tiny paintings on mini easels on each table]

Canvas bags hanging on a pole by a stone wall

Tea-picking bags in Munnar, Kerala, India

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63 Comments

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