Month 2 of L.A. in Black and White Photos

You know, they’ve often said that it takes 21 days to form a new habit, but I’m pretty sure it takes longer. I’m now two full months into my 365-day photo project of documenting Los Angeles in black and white photos. And I can firmly say that it’s been a proper challenge.

I know, I know, it’s not that hard taking a photo per day. Most of us probably do that anyways, without needing to challenge ourselves to do so. Which is exactly why I wanted a unique spin for doing my first 365-day photo challenge. The challenge of it all hasn’t been taking a photo per day, but rather coming up with 300-plus different ways to document Los Angeles in black and white photos. Because I could just take a photo every day of my dishes or bedroom, but that’s not very interesting now is it?

When I look back at the photos of the last month, what’s seemed to resonate the most has been images that are uniquely L.A. They are photos like DTLA's Rialto Theatre, which dates back to 1917, and now houses an Urban Outfitters, and Los Angeles Union Station, the largest railroad passenger terminal in the West. Others are more iconic Los Angeles images, like palm-lined streets and stairs down to the beach. And then there’s the more unusual, impromptu black and white photo, like the beer sign I took inside the men’s bathroom of Barkowski, a Charles Bukowski-themed dive in West L.A.

As I head into a new month, I’m trying to be proactive in diversifying some of my photos, as it’s easy to take most of them in and around my neighborhood. On paper this includes things like getting a co-working membership in a different neighborhood, and gym membership in another neighborhood. Hopefully that won’t mean photos of dumbbells and elliptical machines, but rather be an excuse to explore other L.A. neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, see some of my favorite photos from February below.