Shades of Gray

“Shades of Gray” was a photography experiment for me. I normally shoot my photographs in color, but this time, I switched my camera to black-and-white and shot completely in black-and-white. This provided a considerable change from my normal methods. Setting up a black-and-white shot is different than for a color shot. Instead of working with vivid colors, the emphasis is on contrast, since everything is different shades of gray. This requires a different way of thinking than when shooting in color, and it was a lot of fun.

This photo set was taken on August 3, 2005 in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Unlike most other Photography sets that I’ve done, this one is arranged by topic rather than chronologically. As such, we visit the Metro, the Virginia suburbs of Washington, downtown Washington DC, the Shaw neighborhood in Northwest DC, and finally Dupont Circle.

On the Metro at the tail end of the morning rush hour, the Metro is still well-populated.

The street pylon at North Moore Street in Rosslyn casts a shadow onto the sidewalk as it marks the entrance to Rosslyn station.

Inside Rosslyn station, people enter and exit the station using four escalators.

As Rosslyn is a bi-level station, the outbound platform is considerably lower than the inbound platform.

At McPherson Square station, a train services the inbound platform.

At Federal Triangle, light is reflected off the concrete ceiling.

The Shaw-Howard University station is mostly quiet during midday.

At the Washington Convention Center, a street pylon marks the entrance to the Mt. Vernon Square station.

Metro customers use the three escalators at the Q Street entrance at Dupont Circle station to enter and exit the station.

At Metro Center at the beginning of the evening rush hour, things are starting to pick up as people transfer between Blue, Orange, and Red Line trains.

At King Street station, a Rohr train prepares to pick up a load of passengers.

Later on in the evening, the inbound platform at Pentagon City station is filled with people. By comparison, the outbound platform was deserted.

On the other hand, the platforms at Crystal City were practically deserted.

Late at night inside Rosslyn station, the lights shining from the track bed lend a reassuring glow to the station.

Late at night, there are far less people waiting on the platform than earlier in the day.

Those few people riding the trains late at night lend a somewhat somnolent air to the car, with few words spoken.

Approaching midnight, after the final train of the night has left for New Carrollton, the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU station is quiet, with no sound except for that of drivers on Interstate 66.

In Rosslyn, an Arlington neighborhood, a skywalk carries pedestrians across North Moore Street from the Metro elevator to Rosslyn Center.

Banners hang from the side of Rosslyn Center, advertising establishments located within the building.

A police car sits parked next to the Metro elevator.

Meanwhile, a Metrobus en route to Farragut Square stops to pick up and drop off passengers.

The volume of traffic on North Moore Street between midday and late night may change, but the row of taxicabs along the curb remains constant.

At 1801 North Lynn Street, trees frame the lower levels of the building, while clouds frame the upper levels.

In Alexandria, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial appears to attract clouds to its peak.

At Pentagon City, another Arlington neighborhood, as day begins to transition into night over the Washington DC area, clouds pass over Washington Tower and the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

At Pentagon Row, the large clock casts a friendly glow over the community’s central plaza.

In downtown Washington DC, pedestrians cross the street.

While some buildings in downtown are particularly ornate…

…other buildings display a decidedly more modern flair.

Downtown Washington DC is definitely a festive place!

At Freedom Plaza, a bird contemplates whether or not to take a bath in the large fountain.

Meanwhile, a lone pedestrian strolls along Freedom Plaza’s open expanse.

Around the plaza, however, traffic along Pennsylvania Avenue NW is constant.

However, there is a considerably smaller volume of traffic along neighboring 13th Street NW.

The Old Post Office points to the sky.

At the Reagan Building, flagpoles stand empty.

In Northwest Washington’s Shaw neighborhood, row houses line Rhode Island Avenue.

Traffic waits at an intersection.

Tall trees provide shade for those walking on the sidewalks.

Along 9th Street NW, row houses continue their prevalence.

A motorcycle sits parked along 8th Street NW outside the Immaculate Conception Church.

The gothic architecture of the Immaculate Conception Church stands high against the summer sky.

The entrance to the church is no less ornate.

In a parking lot at 8th and N Streets NW, a former CUE bus sits, awaiting its fate.

In the Dupont Circle neighborhood, row buildings continue their prevalence, though in Dupont Circle, the buildings are noticeably taller and more ornate than in Shaw.