Minimalism and the Art of Photography

Embrace the freedom of limitation

John P. Weiss

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Photo by Conner Weiss

I have a serious passion for classic black-and-white photography, and I blame my friend Sean in New Zealand.

Sean runs a successful online business, and a few years back we connected over our mutual love for cartooning. Then Sean introduced me to his passion for photography. Particularly, black and white photography.

Sean and I have never met in person.

As much as I criticize social media for its predatory algorithms, mediocrity, and consumptive harm, I admit it makes things easier for like-minded people to meet, share passions, and collaborate. That’s what happened with Sean and me.

The simplicity and elegance of black-and-white imagery

Before meeting Sean, I had little interest or experience with photography beyond the evidence photos I took in my law enforcement career, and the selfies and family shots we all capture on our smartphones. But I developed a growing appreciation for the simplicity and elegance of black-and-white imagery. And I trace that aesthetic predilection to three people: Jeremy Mann, Brian Gardner, and Joshua Becker.

Jeremy Mann is a fine artist whose cityscapes and figurative oil paintings are produced with muted…

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John P. Weiss

I write books, stories and essays about life, often illustrated with my photography and artwork. JohnPWeiss.com.