Even though I try to stick to color for my street photography, some photos simply work better in black and white.

Last Saturday, we went to visit the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo with some fellow CWRU “postdocs and friends”. Good company, sunny weather and a huge crowd of happy visitors not only made this a great afternoon, but also allowed me to do some street photography.

When we arrived in Old Brooklyn, where the zoo is located, the parking lots and surrounding streets were already packed with cars. We parked a bit further away and walked. I don’t know whether it is the neighborhood or just the fact that spring has finally arrived in Cleveland, but everybody we met on the way was very talkative, whether warning us that there shall be “No laughing on a Saturday!”, commenting on the police blocking the zoo’s jammed parking lots, or complimenting my beard from a car. At the zoo, I was quickly reminded of being in the U.S. when people at the Rhino area started to discuss that a pistol wouldn’t suffice to kill the massive animals and what weapon would be needed instead.

We went to the Cleveland Zoo yesterday. The admission was free thanks to the Cleveland Foundation, and combined with perfect spring weather it attracted a huge crowd of visitors. The parking lots were jammed when we arrived there, so we had to park outside and walk a few blocks through Old Brooklyn, which allowed me to take this shot. I’ll publish some street photography I took at the zoo itself soon.