Entry for the Shadow Contest/SMASh - Round 425 - Contrasts

The contrasts I see often capture my interest, not only in the moment but also as subjects for photography. On a walk I took near my house today, on my way to the supermarket, I noticed the shadows cast by inanimate structures that mimic something alive, such as the arches of an outdoor corridor, which in a way resemble the shadows of trees (with their canopies and trunks), and the shadow of a small palm tree that danced to the rhythm of the late-afternoon breeze.

I looked for contrasts in light, contrasts among the photographed elements, but today I also decided to explore the contrasts between a color photography approach and black-and-white (with post-processing).

While I am not a professional photographer, I have been taking photos as an amateur for a few years now... I confess that the contrast brought by black-and-white photography leaves me particularly satisfied. There is a unique magic to an image from which color has been subtracted. It seems that by removing something that had a superior quality, it ends up imparting more meaning, intensity, and information to the viewer! A paradox, don’t you think? By removing stimuli and information (colors), the saturations and shades of gray control an entire narrative and story, which appeals to me the most.

I hope you enjoyed my humble entry in this contest hosted by @melinda010100. Later this week, in one of her posts about her ninth anniversary in the Hive community!

Cheers🍀

^{Photographed with Samsung A26 by @xrayman in 2026 May 14
Photographic edition with PhotoScape X
Original text in Portuguese written by @xrayman, translated with DeepL.com}