Beauty and poverty in black and white - best of Star Witness

From abandoned factories to glorious snow covered trees, these pictures show how monochrome imagery can paint the city in a whole new light.

In recent weeks amateur photographers have sent in their entries to the Star Witness online gallery – and today we are showcasing the pick of the bunch.

Aaron Newell, a photography student at The University of Wolverhampton, took a series of black and white shots for a project.

He said he prefers it to colour as it allows the viewer to focus exclusively on the image.

"Colour can sometimes be a distraction," said the 22-year-old, who lives in Pendeford. "Different colours have different connotations, so by stripping that away you are left with the photograph in a purer form."

Aaron said the set, which features images of his home town, aims to depict the transformation of the once great industrial powerhouse into a 'dying city'.

One of Aaron's pictures shows the former Sainsbury's building at St George's Parade, which closed last year. "For me this sums up Wolverhampton," he said.

"It was once a busy supermarket but now it is quiet and fairly eerie. It has been in the paper a lot and people aren't really sure what's happening with the building. I tried to capture that in the picture."

Another image shows the old steel works in Horseley Fields, the once bustling factory that is now inhabited by squatters.

"There would have been so much industry here back in the day," said Aaron. "There are now 20 or 30 squatters living around there. There's sleeping bags and syringes lying around inside.

"I wanted to capture the view from a distance to include the empty space in front of the building. To me it's quite a desperate scene and the black and white photograph really captures it in its proper light."

Aaron also photographed the former Kingfisher Narrowboats building in Union Mill Street, capturing the overgrown shrubbery scaling its exterior walls.

The vast factory used to make barge engines until production moved elsewhere.

Aaron said: "This is another place that died a death. The firm was a big employer in Wolverhampton. The overgrowing trees at the front of the building frame the picture and give the sense that the place has not been touched for years."

And he also shot the closed down New Cleveland Club, which sits opposite the former Royal Hospital site in All Saints.

Donna Morrison, aged 36, from Tettenhall, sent in a dramatic monochrome shot of the West Park bandstand.

She said: "I chose to use black and white because it was more appealing to me. I enjoy photography and I've already done a few shoots. It was taken about six weeks ago."

Wolverhampton Homes concierge officer Darren Friel said he regularly takes pictures when he's out and about on patrol in Heath Town.

The 40-year-old from East Park used his Sony Xperia X1 to snap his stunning view of smoke rising from the rooftop boiler house of the block off Woden Road.

"The block is radiant white and it really contrasts with the black bridge at the front of the shot," he said.

Other Star Witness readers chose to focus on more beautiful aspects of the city.

Rebekah Parkes from Perton was taking a winter stroll by the Tettenhall pool when she captured a snow-covered tree using the camera on her iPhone.

The 23-year-old said: "I liked the way the snow stopped on top of the branches but they were clear underneath."