People In Black and White. A photo essay - Adventures in Wonderland
I’ve become such a devotee of black-and-white images. Partly, it’s my admiration for the masters and partly it’s my admiration for the effect. It helps me see what I have taken with a deeper visual inspection.
Black and white is one way of moving away from reality to infuse you work with aesthetics, and obtain a work that can be considered art. But it is not the only way, nor is every black and white photograph a fine art photograph by definition. Color photography can be art too, of course. And color has the power to add mood or symbolism to your work.
In the Lens section are four parts that set up a comparison between the two. Color can stagnate, black-and-white can stagnate. When the photographer makes the decision to convert to black-and-white, the contrast and tones must soar. They must complement all aspects of the image. The decision must boost the narrative, making a bolder statement than its reality.
Black and white photography is not merely the absence of color
The drama of color vs. the drama of black-and-white photography can be a hard punch or slightly competitive. Sometimes it is simply a matter of personal preference. At other times the clarity of an image can make it easy to determine the best rendering of the content.
Use of black and white is just one of the tools you can use to create art in photography but be aware that it’s only useful and effective in combination with other tools from your artistic toolkit. The statement that black and white is equal to fine art has to be dismissed. But dismissing black and white as a meaningful way of expression, and qualifying it as a less beautiful and outdated way of expression, that has nothing to do with reality, are statements that ignores the essence of art.
Black-and-white photography remains a vital component of the art world. Its qualities can be a vast treasure trove for the visual senses. During the times when it works, it staggers my mind and makes my heart quake with joy.
Meyerowitz has been consistent about his championship and use of color photography. In the early days of his career he was known to carry two cameras (one loaded with color film and the other with black-and-white). He was determined to understand the qualities of each for his own edification and work.
Inspiring Black and White Photography: Henry Wessel - Paul Politis
Returning to the arguments of color advocates and black and white advocates, you can conclude indirectly from my thoughts as I presented them, what I believe is true, what is simply not correct or what is still subject of debate. I want to address one subject of debate specifically, and that is the often expressed idea, that black and white is considered to be more artistic, that it is fine art, while color can also be art, but not per se.
In Defense of Black and White Photography - BWVision
"Photo Essay: Emulating Zodiaque: The Aesthetics of Black-and-White Photography applied to Romanesque Art & Architecture." Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture 7, 4 (2021): 290-362.
Indonesia in Black and White - a Photo Essay - eDreams Travel Blog
I love colors but black and white creates a dramatic, more stunning effect that makes you think and feel. Your selections of images are just amazing. My favorite were the tree with the clouds above it and the sky with the impressive sky formations. Thanks. Best wishes!
Paul Politis Black and White Photography | Free Essay Example
This is a question that has been asked to many black and white photographers, usually by photographers who are just starting and have the natural tendency to shoot color first or by seasoned photographers who still doubt the technical, aesthetic or artistic justification of black and white over color. Especially in this digital age where even small phones are capable of taking high quality color images.
Photo Essay - Paris In Black And White - Jagabond
Thanks, I agree with you about the dramatic effects of black-and-white; the masters of the twentieth-century photography certainly prove how profound the monochrome can be.
Washington DC Photography - Inspiring Creativity in Black and White
Thanks Doyle, I agree with you that neither color or B&W need to be defended. But in this day and age of full color digital photography people need to be informed why there is an alternative in black and white, and that it isn’t an anachronism, but as you put it: an alternative. PS: from a technical point of view, color is an addition (through use of the Color Filter Array) and black and white is what the photo sensor can record without the addition of a CFA.
Joel