One year with streetphotography in black and white

There is something about a city street at night that stops me in my tracks. The way artificial light pools on wet pavement. A stranger walking past, face half in shadow. A moment that exists for a second and then is gone forever — unless you catch it. Street photography has always pulled at me, but for a long time I let it sit at the edges of my work. This year, I decided to put it at the centre.

At the end of February, I launched a new Instagram account — @elibrager.street — dedicated entirely to street photography in black and white. My goal is to build a body of work from the streets of Oslo and wherever else my travels take me.
The whole point of this account is simple: black and white only. That’s a real challenge for me, because I genuinely love colour — but that’s exactly why I want to do it. I want to push myself, and I want to commit to a clear direction. At least one year. One year of street photography, stripped of colour.
My other Instagram accounts have always been a bit of everything — nature, landscapes, street scenes, people. A beautiful mess, but a mess nonetheless. With this new account, I get to focus. Street photography only. And honestly, that feels like exactly the creative constraint I need to thrive.

Of course, I’ll still be out photographing the coming spring — in nature, in my garden, in the forest, and by the sea. But those images belong on my other accounts, where I’m also building my portfolio in nature and landscape photography. You can find that work on Facebook or at https://elibragerphotography.myportfolio.com Street photography, though, remains my primary focus.

There is still so much for me to learn on the path to becoming a street photographer. Yesterday evening I was out on the streets of Oslo, and I found myself falling in love with the city at night — the quality of the light, the way it fell across the ground, on people, on buildings. There is so much to take in before you even reach for the shutter.
I had no particular theme in mind yesterday. I simply walked, looked around, and trusted that something would reveal itself. And it did — several different scenes unfolded, each one unexpected. That, I think, is what makes street photography so endlessly exciting.

I don’t know exactly where this year will take me. I don’t know what I’ll find on the streets, or what kind of photographer I’ll become in the process. But I know this: for the next twelve months, I’m showing up — camera in hand, eyes open, colour set aside. One year of black and white. One year of paying attention.
I’ll be sharing the journey here on the blog, alongside the images. If you want to follow along on Instagram, you’ll find the project at @elibrager.street . I’d love to have you with me.