All photos by Daniel Řeřicha. Used with Creative Commons permission.
Shooting during the winter is a challenging but also great time to shoot for landscape photographers, especially for those who hold a preference for black and white. The scenery tends to easily tip into their favor with the snow blanketing the landscapes, transforming everything into minimalist subjects that look great in monochrome. Take, for example, the gorgeous black and white photos of Czech photographer Daniel Řeřicha around the snowy scenes of the Ore Mountains in Central Europe.
In his two-part Frosty Ore Mountains series, Daniel took advantage of the snowy situation to look for strikingly minimalist scenes that proved perfect for unique takes on landscape photography. Instead of showcasing sweeping vistas or the grandeur of snow-capped peaks, the series focuses on the different shapes and textures created by the presence of snow. Likewise, the contrast between the light and dark areas in the scenes is heightened by his choice to render them in black and white.
The striking simplicity depicted in Daniel’s series also amplified the cold and desolation of the location during the winter. The snow dominates the frames, while the hint of fog creates an even more dramatic mood for many of the shots. All these come together to create a minimalist and abstract approach to landscape photography that is unique to winter wonderlands. A number of his chosen subjects turned out perfect for this style, where all the snow worked like immaculate white backdrops to make their unique shapes and textures stand out.
Daniel’s Frosty Ore Mountains series is just one excellent example of how to make great use of black and white to depict nature’s abstract beauty when the opportunity arises. Of course, minimalist and abstract looks aren’t exclusive to monochrome, but it’s certainly an effective way to start if you want to explore this approach.
For more black and white landscape photography inspiration, we also suggest checking out the works of Hengki Koentjoro, John Emery, Andreas Urscheler, and Damien Guiot.
Also, don’t forget to check out Daniel Řeřicha’s website and Behance portfolio to see more of his work.