Random Black and White Photos in Siouxland, Omaha, NE

A black and white scene of checks and lines along the Heartland of America Riverfront in downtown Omaha, NE Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Many times when I am out photographing in Siouxland and headed to a destination or expecting to look for something specific like birds or deer, I don’t always think about possible black and white photos or the possibility of them. And that is a failing of just not being mindful. Or open to whatever possibilities await. And it’s also true that sometimes color becomes, if not overwhelming, inescapable as we see the world in color.

Afternoon sunlight and an end to outdoor dining as winter approaches in the Old Market in downtown Omaha, NE Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

A late afternoon sun creates a black and white scene along the Heartland of America Riverfront in downtown Omaha, NE Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

But sometimes something just strikes my visual sense like seeing someone walking on a boardwalk in a checked shirt and the late afternoon sun creating lines as it passes through a structure. And then it becomes an act of recognition and reaction and “seeing”. And that requires being present and aware. Somedays one just wants the “day off”.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

A black and white scene on a boardwalk along the Heartland of America Riverfront in downtown Omaha, NE Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Shadow play in downtown Omaha, NE Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)