Moon and Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California, 1960, Ansel Adams
Black and white photos and movies seem like a thing of the past. Ventures like High Definition and 3D appear to be out-dating these older techniques. However this is not always the case. Many fine art black and white photography prints are still highly valued.
So why is an older technique still valid, meaningful or even fashionable today?
'Black and white' (B&W), shades of grey or monochrome photography is more stunning and memorable. Finer composition, depth, lighting, perspective and context is required to compensate for the lack of colour. These photos are more classic, refined and have a hint of dignity. They manage to be simple and complex simultaneously. B&W photography brings out details usually overlooked in colour photos and creates a timeless image.
Without the distraction of colour, photos of landscapes and people portraiture are better appreciated for their form, shape, lines and composition.
It is the best way to capture beauty and freeze time. Photography is about revealing beauty and sharing it with others.
B&W is a 'back to basic' creative process which has to stretch the imagination as there are no distracting bright colours substituting poor technique. Just like in poetry where no rhyming is used, more technique and thought has to be applied to compensate. Therefore in B&W there is a greater emphasis on portraying the emotion and communicating a story through the lens.
Many instances of this exist from the famous landscape photographer Ansel Adams, portrait photographer Elliot Erwitt, to black and white films.
The most money paid for a B&W fine art photo is the Edward Steichen photo called The Pond-Moonlight, 1904 which sold for $3 million USD in 2006 at Sotheby's New York.
Today movies are rarely shot in B&W for commercial reasons. However B&W film is occasionally used for artistic purposes, to create a nostalgic, historic or anachronistic feel. Woody Allen shot the 1998 movie "Celebrity" entirely in B&W, and Sin City and Pleasantville played with B&W anachronism. The seven times Academy Award winning movie Shindler's Listfrom Steven Spielberg is another wonderful example of the historic nature of B&W film. The decision to shoot in B&W was based on a vision of a documentary-style timelessness.
These photos will help designers and photographers to experiment with B&W instead of using a variety of vibrant colours. So in the future, experiment with thinking in B&W for your next creative project.
I think B&W is so interesting and abstract because we cannot see in the world this way. B&W can be shocking, breath taking and haunting.
A great man once said
"It is easy to take a photograph, but it is harder to make a masterpiece in photography than in any other art medium". - Ansel Adams
B&W is still certainly in fashion and as meaningful today in the art and photography world as it has every been. So yes, B&W is still fashionable.
Without the distraction of colour, photos of landscapes and people portraiture are better appreciated for their form, shape, lines and composition.
It is the best way to capture beauty and freeze time. Photography is about revealing beauty and sharing it with others.
B&W is a 'back to basic' creative process which has to stretch the imagination as there are no distracting bright colours substituting poor technique. Just like in poetry where no rhyming is used, more technique and thought has to be applied to compensate. Therefore in B&W there is a greater emphasis on portraying the emotion and communicating a story through the lens.
Many instances of this exist from the famous landscape photographer Ansel Adams, portrait photographer Elliot Erwitt, to black and white films.
The most money paid for a B&W fine art photo is the Edward Steichen photo called The Pond-Moonlight, 1904 which sold for $3 million USD in 2006 at Sotheby's New York.
These photos will help designers and photographers to experiment with B&W instead of using a variety of vibrant colours. So in the future, experiment with thinking in B&W for your next creative project.
I think B&W is so interesting and abstract because we cannot see in the world this way. B&W can be shocking, breath taking and haunting.
A great man once said
"It is easy to take a photograph, but it is harder to make a masterpiece in photography than in any other art medium". - Ansel Adams
B&W is still certainly in fashion and as meaningful today in the art and photography world as it has every been. So yes, B&W is still fashionable.
Elliott Erwitt
Toni Frissell
Gary Winogrand
Rodney Smith
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