On a recent outing in Siouxland the daylight hours ended with some strong sunlight after a very drab, grey and overcast start to the day. When shooting in black and white I am reminded of turn of the century photographs taken by various photographers, using light and shade to create images. Normally large cities produce better images of this type simply because of the buildings there. Even better when the buildings themselves have survived from early 20th century.
Many of the smaller communities I have visited in the past in and around Siouxland have some older buildings, since the state of Iowa became one in the mid 1800’s. Earlier communities all had some kind of structure that served as a courthouse, hotel, bank or maybe some kind of industrial facility. Now, many of these former buildings are seeing life as law firms (people with money to refurbish them), apartments or other non industrial kinds of businesses.
Photographing older brick buildings in black and white still gives them an austere look and demeanor that color can not achieve. The tonality created has a certain look that red brick or other kind of faded exterior color shade just doesn’t work. But used judiciously black and white achieves a desired affect that I think is timeless and and harkens back to an earlier time period.
Jerry Mennenga
Sioux City, Iowa
lostinsiouxland 
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