Horny

A veritable forest of horns in this group of Arabian oryx in the nature reserve of Sir Bani Yas island in Abu Dhabi.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Horns

Taking a rest

A weary worker takes the opportunity to take the weight of his feet on a bench in Dubai.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Feet or shoes

52 Week Smartphone Challenge: 34 Colour without colour

This week’s Smartphone Challenge is to tell a colourful story, but in monochrome.

This clematis is actually a delightful shade of purple, but in black and white it contrasts very well with the green leaves behind. The monochrome treatment also helps to highlight the intricacy at the centre of the flower.

52WeekSmartphoneChallenge: 34 Colourful in B&W

In need of repair

This was the interior of our barn when we bought Brokedown Palace. Yes, that is a big hole in the roof in the middle of the image.

What were we thinking?

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Made from wood

Shadows and reflections

Cee’s theme for her Black & White Challenge this week is shadows and reflections. You’re more likely to get just one or the other in a single image, but this picture of a well-preserved stone sarcophagus in the cloister of the local museum at Perigueux manages to combine the two thanks to the strong shadow cast by the bright sunlight and the reflection of yours truly (sadly, rather less well=preserved).

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Shadows and reflections

Roman carving

Archaeologists excavating the Gallo-Roman site of Argentomagus, in central France, have uncovered many impressive statues and stone carvings.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Statuary

Streetlight

By law, all houses in France are required to have a light over outside doors (the light doesn’t have to be switched on, but that’s another story).

Typically, the lights around here are of traditional design – an old carriage lamp is very popular, for example). However, in Saint-Junien there is at least one street light of more contemporary design.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Lighting

Rear View

Taking the ferry from Circular Quay in Sydney to Manley offers some spectacular views.

And this….

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Back of things

Lose the selfie stick – somewhere

I freely admit that I have a thing about selfie sticks. To my mind their only possible useful purpose would be in the execution of a self-administered colonoscopy. There again, the heavy selfie-stick user is probably already so far up themselves that a camera would scarcely be necessary for said purpose.

Why go somewhere interesting and picturesque – like, in this case, the island of Burano – and just take photos of yourself? Bah, humbug.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Cameras and Photographers

Scary

It’s just a grasshopper (deceased).

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Close-ups