As I sit here editing photos taken from virtually the same vantage point as some of the most famous photos ever taken, I can't help but think about how these iconic photos still shape and influence the way I think these views are "supposed" to look. I ended up with the photo above. I enjoy the way the colors came out in the near sunset light, but I decided that I wanted to keep messing with it because there is a lot of available contrast that I felt screamed for a black and white version of the photo.
Now, that's where the iconic photo was almost certainly shaping how I think a view is "supposed" to look. Just in case you don't have the photo in mind, it's the following.
So with that photo coloring (or decoloring as it were) my perspective of how this view should be perceived I set about creating a black and white version of the photo I started with above. This photo is the result and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. I still can't decide whether I prefer the color or monochrome version of the photo, but the monochrome certainly has the timeless quality I expect from the vantage point the photo was taken.
