Originally, this photograph was in colour – but I think I prefer it in black and white.
Like the capitals of many once grand empires, Lisbon has an air of beautiful decay. This picture is authentic, with steep, cobblestoned pavements threaded through with trees which touch surrounding buildings.
If you ever visit Lisbon, I would recommend crossing the bridge and visiting Cristo Rei.
When I took the picture with my phone, I wanted to capture the size of the statue and the hard light from the midday sun. And colour just didn’t work. The people were too prominent in the frame and the statue felt unimportant. So I changed to monochrome, and suddenly my eye is drawn to the towering pedestal and figure on top. Monochrome is great for bringing out the shape of things. And the hard black shadows under the people says how hot it was.