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Mid-week Monochrome,  Paris,  Photographic techniques,  Travel galleries

Gallery: seeing Paris in black and white

September 22, 2022 / 25 Comments

Paris, like most cities, is full of colour. Street art, flower markets, shop windows, mellow old stone, green (or autumnal) trees … I could go on. But it is also full of striking details that translate well to monochrome images.

I’ve gathered up some of my favourite shots that don’t really fit the themes of my already-written or planned posts. All were originally shot in colour. But I’ve had fun transforming them to black and white, using Nik Silver Efex. And I’m sharing them for a new (to me) challenge, Bren’s Mid-week Monochrome. I’m a great admirer of her photography; do check out her site if you haven’t previously visited it. So I’m very happy to be joining her in a challenge that’s right up my street. Bren usually posts a single image but I hope she’ll forgive me for going a bit further and sharing a themed gallery of shots.

My featured photo was taken in the Place Saint Sulpice, as were several of the others below. Our hotel was very near here and it’s a spot we both love. Here are the rest:

Black and white photo of an old Metropolitain sign

The classic entrance to the Temple Metro station in the Marais district, photographed as I emerged from the Metro

Black and white photo of window with shutters

A window of a house in the 14th arrondissement, with rather worn shutters; somehow dilapidation often looks better in monochrome

Black and white photo of clouds above trees and a house

Stormy skies over the Place Saint Sulpice, taken from our café table just before the heavens opened; I have rarely seen such rain (have a look at the photo of a woman with an umbrella in my street photography post, taken just a few moments later)

Black and white photo of a carved stone lion

The fountain in the Place Saint Sulpice, one of my favourite Paris fountains

Black and white photo of the corner of a building with carved lions' faces

More lions (and a bonus pigeon!), this time on a building on the Boulevard Saint Germain

Black and white photo of a small carving of a sheep

And now a sheep, spotted on a building near the Marché Saint Germain

Looking up at a cathedral in black and white

Notre Dame thankfully rising from the ashes, as work continues on the restoration project following that dreadful fire in 2019

Black and white photo of lights above modern arched building

And finally, a much more modern building near the Tour Montparnasse, housing a rather unattractive shopping centre

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