#photography neditry

I work mostly (not exclusively, but mostly) in B&W. That’s a deliberate, but not particularly daring or radical, choice on my part. Lots of photographers work in B&W.

B&W appears to only be “controversial” on the Internet. “Why work in B&W when you could use color?” ask, over and over.

It’s like asking “why make still photos when you could make movies?” or “why make pictures when you could make 3D sculptures?” or “Why write books when you could make pictures?”

  • Come On Giant Asteroid!@mastodon.radio
    1·
    4 days ago

    @mattblaze@federate.social

    Philosophical Q: Why do B&W images look more real than color images? Is it because I am of an age when newspaper images were almost all B&W and when some of us had B&W TVs? Or is there more to it than that?

    Because I like them.

  • Matt Blaze@federate.socialOP
    1·
    4 days ago

    The answer, for me, is that you express and emphasize different things in different media. I’m mostly interested in shapes and tone, and B&W usually works well for what I want to achieve.

    But lots of photographers do great stuff with color, and I love that. Do what works for you!

    • Marco Minutoli@mastodon.acm.org
      1·
      4 days ago

      @mattblaze@federate.social same for me. In the end, each photographer chooses their own constraints/limitations that are appropriate for what they like or want to achieve with their images. I tend to steer away from all sorts of snobbism. I like black and white film photography. That works for me and I enjoy the process. Nevertheless, I like your digital work and I have found myself looking at the colorful portraits of Steve McCurry in amazement as well as for the work of other photographers working with color.

    • Kevin Mirsky :donor:@infosec.exchange
      1·
      4 days ago

      @mattblaze@federate.social As a non-photographer, I appreciate you spelling out how B&W works for your vision – I’m sure it feels straightforward for you but it helps me understand the medium better. I’m going to think about that next time I go to take a photo of something, or when I look at someone else’s photo!