When I started planning for my 2-week trip to Italy a few months ago, I knew I needed to take many, many rolls of film. I also knew that I would primarily be shooting color. Because…Italy. However, I also made sure to take a few rolls of black and white. I mostly shoot color, but I wanted to push myself during this trip to see what I find do with a little b/w.

And what screams black and white more than some ancient Greek ruins? My trip started in Paestum, known for its famous, and well-preserved, Greek ruins.

The timeless quality of black and white suited this site really well.

My trip ended with more ruins, in Rome. Walking around the Colosseum and the Forum, it’s hard not to imagine the people who lived here in the past, whose blood was spilt, who walked these streets, who touched these structures.

From meditating on the past, to observing the present, I found that the stripped-down nature of b/w lent itself well to the in-between moments of life, like taking a break from walking or waiting for the bus…

Even the seaside town of Polignano a Mare looks great devoid of its vibrant colors!

I will definitely be loading more b/w into my camera from now on. I think it does me good to look at the world a bit differently from time to time.

– Eyes wide open, Chinwe