Color is the most important thing to me in art. It is the first thing I see, it's what I'm drawn to, and it's what I look for. It is never my first reaction to put a photo into black and white because I probably didn't shoot it for that reason. That being said, I do think that it can make a photo read better or be 'stronger.' I think to some people it makes the photo more serious like black and white adds importance. I don't know if this is true. I find that if the picture is technically good in like a formalist way i.e. strong lines, excellent composition, etc.., it is strong both in B&W and color, and at that point it becomes a matter of preference. Although, this doesn't really answer the question of how to decided when to use B&W/ what the criteria for deciding is. I usually approach it in this manner; if the color is not the coolest thing compositionally about the photo I try it out in B&W just to see. There are two types of photos that I do prefer in B&W. 1) Old people. They are BEAUTIFUL in black and white. The texture of their skin is such a strong subject matter, you can see that they have earned those wrinkles-all the stories and history of their lives comes out. 2) After color, strong lines and shape are my favorite compositional aspects of art. Those pared with high contrast is what makes a good B&W photo for me.
Thanks!
Alex
No comments:
Post a Comment