The 2025 Black & White Invitational Exhibit at Image City Photography Gallery, coordinated by partner Luann Pero, brings together a collection of stunning images by photographers that celebrate the timeless beauty and artistic depth of this classic medium. The following photographers are included in the invitational: Bruno Chalifour, Bob Clemens, Kirsten Flass, Nicholas Jospe, Devin Mack, Mike Nyerges, and Patty Singer. The photographs on display showcase a diverse range of subjects, including sweeping landscapes, architectural icons, intimate portraits and candid moments of everyday life. Through the lens of the talented photographers featured in the exhibition, ordinary scenes are transformed into works of art, inviting viewers to see the world in a new light. From rugged mountains and serene lakes to bustling cityscapes and tranquil seascapes, each photograph invites viewers to embark on a visual journey that connects us to the world around us.
Many of the images evoke a sense of nostalgia and sophistication. The absence of color allows viewers to focus on the raw emotions, textures, and intricate details captured within each frame. According to Bruno Chalifour, “Beyond being an esthetic choice, photographing in black and white amounts to going back to the roots, the essence of photography.” He explains that there is a philosophical, “ontological posture in photographing in black and white, which mainly consists in working with light, the ‘photo’ in photography.” Bruno points out that black and white images “constantly remind us that a photograph is not just a window opened onto the world, a two-dimensional space through which a spectator looks; it is a truncated, as well as a composed representation of our world, an image also partly generated by both the photographer’s and the spectator’s imaginations.” Bruno also discusses how black and white photography “eliminates the distraction of colors often interfering with the effect and affect that the photographer wants to share.” He says that colors may take a viewer’s attention away from the photographer’s intention. “The attitude required from the viewer should be the photographer’s: considering a photograph as an image, and the whole frame as the stage where it all happens.”
Bruno tends to work in series of photographs rather than in singular images; thus, he is presenting six images from two series during the exhibition, and he says they are profoundly linked. Bruno explains, “Both series are inspired by my native region (Limousin in France): its hills, trees and creeks. The common idea behind the six images is the impact of climate change on its landscape.” Visitors to the gallery will have the opportunity to view images that show Bruno’s childhood landscape under a snowstorm that took place on April 1st two years ago, which he says was a very unusual phenomenon there at that time of year, when spring had officially started during the last three weeks of March. Additionally, 3 of his images depict a creek and the impact that climate change has had on it. These include images of one of the hot summer heat waves that have become normal in the past twenty years. Also, he is displaying images of the same location during very unusual downpours that the country has undergone in the past three years. When visitors view his photographs, Bruno hopes they will gain an esthetic experience. Additionally, he hopes “to trigger their curiosity and appreciation of image-making, while giving a glimpse of what black and white photography can achieve when practiced as a craft and not just a reflex.” He compares it to the difference between writing a text message and a thoughtfully-crafted letter.
Another featured photographer, Nicholas Jospe also presents a series of his photos. When Nicholas and his wife Kitty were on a two-week bicycle ride that included an Alpine climb, which he insisted on doing with his DSLR around his neck, he knew all along it would be worth it. Their route took them over the St. Gotthard Pass in Switzerland. According to Wikipedia, the road was once a major transport axis of Europe, linking Holland to Italy, and is now replaced by three traffic tunnels, each being the world’s longest at the time of their construction. Nicholas says that once he was in the mountains, the single 35 mm lens he used forced him to see the geography as many panoramas, both vertical and horizontal. He explains,
“the intention of these photos, through black and white representation, is to highlight some of the bridges, the road, and the rock used for this amazing endeavor, and to underscore the magnitude of the builders’ challenges. However, the choice to render the photos in black and white did not come until later, given a sense of timelessness implied in the near complete absence of visible traffic, and then also the quiet of non-sun-drenched days, leading themselves to less light-directed and more viewer choice in the interpretation of lines, shapes and movement evoked by the structures.” Nicholas hopes the viewer finds that the black and white rendition invoke a mix of intimacy, admiration, fear, and awe.
Featured photographer Bob Clemens agrees that the simplicity, yet complexity of creating a monochrome image, free of color, is a rewarding challenge. He says, “No doubt some of my enjoyment of black and white photography comes from my past, spending hours in the darkroom, watching a printed image steadily emerge in a tray of developer under the dim glow of a safelight. That experience seldom failed to please.” Bob particularly enjoys street photography because “these snippets of time, when captured by an observant photographer, can preserve an element of reality that brings meaning to the moment that extracts visual meaning and humanity from even the most ordinary of situations.” His photo of two children sitting on an apartment stairway sums up his feelings about the joys and revelations in this candid side of photography. He hopes that viewers grasp the honest straighforwardness of his work, no matter what the subject is, and that they might hear him whispering, “Over here- I’ve caught something you may have missed, something wonderful you’ll enjoy seeing. Take a good look.”
Another featured photographer, Patty Singer, typically is a color photographer but has recently been exploring the black and white genre. She says that she “enjoys seeing how different the dynamics of a photo can look when processed in black and white versus color.” She explains that she typically sees most nature in color but really enjoyed seeing how different angles of some architecture stood out more in black and white. She says that this is a style she will continue to explore.
As visitors explore the exhibition, they are transported to a world where time stands still and every moment is frozen in black and white, capturing the beauty and essence of life in its most authentic and unadulterated form. The power of black and white photography lies in its ability to evoke emotions, provoke thought, and inspire creativity, making it a timeless and enduring art form that continues to captivate and inspire generations of artists and admirers. As people spend time viewing each image, we hope they are left with a renewed appreciation for the art of black and white photography and a deeper understanding of the beauty and complexity of the world in which we live. In a world saturated with color and noise, sometimes the most powerful and meaningful moments are found in the simplicity and elegance of black and white. This exhibition is a celebration of this timeless art form and a testament to the enduring legacy of black and white photography in the world of visual arts.