As an eye doctor, daily I educate my patients on rods and cones. Both are photoreceptors present in the retina, but cones are the ones that allow us to distinguish colors. Cones are a little slower, as they have more detail to process from different wavelengths. Cones are also the main photoreceptors of our central vision.

So, let’s ask ourselves – what if we take away the heavy stuff in a photo for our cones to process? Let’s take away color and have our central vision process an image that is easier to digest. Let’s make it more simplistic, the way our lives should be, and make the photographer and the observer more creative. As there are fewer distractions, then we can focus more on the mood of the photo, and translate a better sentiment. A better story can be told.

Why do we look back at photos? To remember, to recreate a feeling of a time past, and bring us into the present. Making the image timeless. Easier for the brain to digest, putting more emphasis on emotions.

Photography and nostalgia go hand in hand, and nothing will do that better than monochromatic photography.

Please enjoy some street photos from my latest trip to Montreal, Canada, and ask yourself – what do you see? What is the story?

By Peto Fallas