How does one choose to visualize a photograph as black and white or full color?
It has been said that black and white photograph is about the subject of a photography while color photography is about the color.
Black and white photography forces the viewer to examine the contents of the image while color photography gives the viewer an immediate emotional reaction to the colors of the image – blue sky, green grass, red tulip.
I’m not so sure this guideline holds true today as we’ve lived with color photography for so long now. Color can be used subtlily or garishly oversaturated with levels pushed to 11.
Color can envoke moods from happy to mysterious and somber. Certainly traveling around New England looking for landscape subjects in the fall foliage season, color is going to be the go to choice.
But black and white photography with all of its 256 shades of gray from pure white to pure black and all of the tones in between, can be effectively used to photograph subjects all year round.
Black and white excels at capturing texture. The grit, rust, dust and age on an old farm tractor. The texture of leaves on a tree, the sunlight glancing off dew wet blades of grass. The darkness of a tire well to the light reflecting off a hood ornament.
Think about your image. Are you trying to get the viewer to appreciate the weather, beaten old workhorse on the farm or simply taking in the splendor of the Autumn scenery?
I’m a lover of black and white imagery, but color certainly plays a role in crafting a good photograph. Lovely article. Thanks.
Very nice article. My favorite subject to capture in black and white are clouds. 👀