The Magic of Black & White
Dani #7 B&W
Nothing says "PHOTOGRAPHY" in big proud letters like a Great Black and White (monochromatic) Photograph. It has been and still is a measurement of a photographer's skill; not to turn out a single good black and white image or even several lucky ones, but to consistently create striking images without the help of color.
Great Black and White photos are first "seen" in monochrome and the photographer (even a digital photographer) should shoot it with the understanding that it will become a black and white photograph. True, making a black and white image is easier now than it ever was, but there is much more to it than clicking on a selection in Photoshop. There are textures and contrast amounts to consider, not to mention that just because a shot looks great in color does not mean that those same colors (which will become various shades of white black and grey) will translate into a great photograph.
The single greatest place that black and white is OVER-USED is in portraiture. Many of the new "Instant Photographers" find that their knowledge and camera skills are lacking and their images are fuzzy, even out of focus or blurry and they try to cover that up by over sharpening which pixelates the image (makes it look grainy). Then, to try and make that pixelation look 'arty', they hit the Convert to Black and White button and viola, they have an image that is neither art nor photography.
I want you to take a close look at the two shots to the left and see if you understand what I have been trying to say about the medium of black and white. Notice how the pink top turns to a light grey and picks up a lot of detail and how the pattern on the hat and the bow really pops. The hat has color but it was muted tan with a little black and grey.
Great Black and White photos are first "seen" in monochrome and the photographer (even a digital photographer) should shoot it with the understanding that it will become a black and white photograph. True, making a black and white image is easier now than it ever was, but there is much more to it than clicking on a selection in Photoshop. There are textures and contrast amounts to consider, not to mention that just because a shot looks great in color does not mean that those same colors (which will become various shades of white black and grey) will translate into a great photograph.
The single greatest place that black and white is OVER-USED is in portraiture. Many of the new "Instant Photographers" find that their knowledge and camera skills are lacking and their images are fuzzy, even out of focus or blurry and they try to cover that up by over sharpening which pixelates the image (makes it look grainy). Then, to try and make that pixelation look 'arty', they hit the Convert to Black and White button and viola, they have an image that is neither art nor photography.
I want you to take a close look at the two shots to the left and see if you understand what I have been trying to say about the medium of black and white. Notice how the pink top turns to a light grey and picks up a lot of detail and how the pattern on the hat and the bow really pops. The hat has color but it was muted tan with a little black and grey.
Dani #7
Can you see it? Now do you understand that black and white still requires thought and effort to turn out shots that look like they were meant to be Black & White?
Most of the time, the black and white turned out by an inexperienced photographer lacks definition (especially in the face) which takes on a, flat, featureless, grainy look because of all the over-sharpening they do trying to make the shots look like they are in focus.
Now, here is the one sweeping statement I will always own up to, "EVERYBODY (notice I said everybody not everything) looks better to me in Black and White (at least the way I do Black and White)". But if your client has just bought a new blue dress or green shirt, they are gonna want to see those colors in at least some of the shots, ya know? It is very rare anymore when someone comes up to me and asks for a total Black and White shoot.
Back in the late 80's, I did a colorized Black and White wedding while living in Phoenix. It was WAAAYYYY expensive because I had to shoot B & W film only, develop it myself, print it myself, then hand-colorize each print without messing up the print. If I messed up a print (which I did more than once) I had to re-print and re-colorize. By the time I got done (it took me more than 100 hours of work to finish) I knew I had not charged nearly enough.
A Note: Dani, the model above, is very fond of hats and she looks great in them. This is ANOTHER thing to keep in mind when taking pictures of people because not everyone looks good in a hat, just like not everyone looks good straddling a chair in the middle of a road or walking down a set of train tracks. A TRUE Professional Photographer will suit the Background, Foreground and Over-All Surroundings to The Model in order to create a Complete Image. The New Breed of Photographers that I refer to as "Dollar Shooters" are only concerned with "Pre-Paid Volume" which is 'Assembly Line Photography' for the masses. If you want a picture to hang on your wall/put on Facebook/carry around on your phone/etc. that looks like it was taken by the same 'photographer' on the same couch in the same field with the same props as dozens of other pictures of dozens of other people, then you definitely DON'T WANT MY WORK.
Another Note: For those of you who may find some of the pictures in the gallery below offensive, I can only say that models who choose to do fitness or swimwear work ARE REQUIRED to have shots of themselves in the appropriate wardrobe styles and they TRUST ME to turn out Professional, Useable images of them in these outfits.
Most of the time, the black and white turned out by an inexperienced photographer lacks definition (especially in the face) which takes on a, flat, featureless, grainy look because of all the over-sharpening they do trying to make the shots look like they are in focus.
Now, here is the one sweeping statement I will always own up to, "EVERYBODY (notice I said everybody not everything) looks better to me in Black and White (at least the way I do Black and White)". But if your client has just bought a new blue dress or green shirt, they are gonna want to see those colors in at least some of the shots, ya know? It is very rare anymore when someone comes up to me and asks for a total Black and White shoot.
Back in the late 80's, I did a colorized Black and White wedding while living in Phoenix. It was WAAAYYYY expensive because I had to shoot B & W film only, develop it myself, print it myself, then hand-colorize each print without messing up the print. If I messed up a print (which I did more than once) I had to re-print and re-colorize. By the time I got done (it took me more than 100 hours of work to finish) I knew I had not charged nearly enough.
A Note: Dani, the model above, is very fond of hats and she looks great in them. This is ANOTHER thing to keep in mind when taking pictures of people because not everyone looks good in a hat, just like not everyone looks good straddling a chair in the middle of a road or walking down a set of train tracks. A TRUE Professional Photographer will suit the Background, Foreground and Over-All Surroundings to The Model in order to create a Complete Image. The New Breed of Photographers that I refer to as "Dollar Shooters" are only concerned with "Pre-Paid Volume" which is 'Assembly Line Photography' for the masses. If you want a picture to hang on your wall/put on Facebook/carry around on your phone/etc. that looks like it was taken by the same 'photographer' on the same couch in the same field with the same props as dozens of other pictures of dozens of other people, then you definitely DON'T WANT MY WORK.
Another Note: For those of you who may find some of the pictures in the gallery below offensive, I can only say that models who choose to do fitness or swimwear work ARE REQUIRED to have shots of themselves in the appropriate wardrobe styles and they TRUST ME to turn out Professional, Useable images of them in these outfits.
