Large domed building with a pool and fountain in front
Architecture,  Monochrome Madness,  Photographic techniques,  Themed galleries

Gallery: Monochrome Madness, seeing leading lines in black and white

November 13, 2024 / 56 Comments

Remember, a line cannot exist alone; it always brings a companion along. Do remember that one line does nothing; it is only in relation to another that it creates a volume.

Henri Matisse

When we look at a photo our eye is naturally drawn along any lines within it. By thinking about how and where you place any lines in your composition, you can influence the way people view the image, pulling us into the picture, towards the subject, leading us on a journey through the scene.

I have shared some β€˜leading lines’ images in a previous post, back in 2022, for a Friendly Friday Challenge. But those images were in colour. The geometry of a leading lines shot can be emphasised by the increased contrast that a monochrome edit provides. So below is a further selection of shots, this time converted using Nik Silver Efex Pro.

I’d love to see what you come up with for this challenge! Do please remember to tag your post Monochrome Madness so it is easy to find in the reader. And 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 images are, as usual, converted from colour originals using Nik Silver Efex Pro.

Monument with soldiers holding flags and fountains

A monument to guards of honour at the Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, North Korea, where the bodies of the former Great Leaders lie in state

Looking down at roads leading to a sports stadium

Kim Il Sung Stadium, Pyongyang, North Korea (photographed from the top of the Arch of Triumph)

People walking towards and from an ornate oriental style gate

The path to Kaminarimon, the Thunder Gate of Sensō-ji, a temple in the Asakusa district of Tokyo, is lined with small shops

Two rows of stone pillars and distant terraced ruins

The avenue leading to the ruins of the temple of Wat Phou, in southern Laos

Church with open area in front

The square in front of San Stefano, Bologna, Italy

Road winding through low hills

The road from La Paz to Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Looking along a road framed by iron girders

The lower (road) level of the High Level Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, north east England

Open water and the wake of a boat

A wet day on Laguna Todos los Santos, Chile

Large white domed building at the end of a long narrow pond

A classic ‘leading lines’ shot, the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.

In the Grand Mosque, Salalah, Oman

Striped carpet in a large formal room with chandeliers and carved ceiling
Modern cathedral building with banners in front

The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool, England

Modern architecture in Leipzig, Germany

Modern buildings, one low and curved, the other tall

56 Comments

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