Zebra turning to look behind
Botswana,  Monochrome Madness,  Photographic techniques,  Travel galleries

Gallery: seeing Botswana in black and white

Black and white photography is truly quite a ‘departure from reality’

Ansel Adams

The natural world (plants, animals, landscapes) may seem to be all about colour, but strip that away and you start to notice other aspects. Textures and shapes take centre stage as the colours recede. It isn’t that one version is better than the other, they each have their value, in my view. Sometimes it’s good to make that ‘departure from reality’ that Adams commends.

This week Leanne is making some changes to her Monochrome Madness challenge by introducing themes. The first of these is ‘The letter B’ so I’ve decided to play around with some favourite images from Botswana. And while zebras may seem an obvious choice, the others are hopefully less so.

All these images were shot originally in colour and edited with Nik Silver Efex Pro

Zebra with part of another visible behind

Zebras, Chobe National Park


Long grass and line of trees with elephant standing in front

Landscape with elephant, Okavango Delta


Elephant standing in water

Detail of a curved elephant trunk

Adult elephant and two young ones

Bare trees and long grass with forest area beyond

Waving fronds of grass against the sky

Waterlily flower among large lily pads

Large cat in the fork of a tree by a river


Ape with baby riding on its back

Large bird on a branch

Hippo mainly submerged in water with eyes and ears showing

Hippo, Okavango Delta


Animal skull with large curved horns on grass

Buffalo skull, Okavango Delta


Straight stalks reflected in water

Setting sun and dramatic clouds reflected in still water

I visited Botswana in 2018

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