The.photo.org is planning on initiating a weekly thread devoted to Black and White photography. This will be a weekly thread dedicated to the presentation and discussion of Black and White photography based on analysis and feedback of posted images by forum users.
Why Black and White - As Elliott Erwitt said, “Color is descriptive. Black and White is interpretive.” It’s an abstraction that simplifies photography by focusing on composition, forms, shapes, tonality, textures, and emotions. Black and White strips away the distractions to give the photographer the freedom to explore the emotion of the story the scene is telling. Black and White allows one to tell a unique story in a unique way. With the distraction and restrictions of color gone, the story is told by composition, forms, texture, contrast and tonality. The elimination of color simplifies the image and allows the artist to explore at an emotional level the scene and the story it tells.
Ansel Adams famously said, “You don’t take a photograph, you make a photograph.” There has been a resurgence of interest in Black and White photography both digital and film based in recent years. Leica has been producing specialized B&W cameras on a regular basis starting with the M9 Monochrome. Their latest release was the M11 Monochrome. They also have a BW version of the Q2. There has been a growth in the capability of image processing software in conversion of color to B&W and even some specialized software packages, e..g., Nik Collection and Film Pack from DXO. Film photography including B&W is making a resurgence even with new emulsions and new chemistry being introduced.
Clyde Butcher talks about the hundreds of photographers who flock to Inspiration Point in Yosemite National Park for the “golden hour.” However, the composition at sunrise is poor. For Black and White, it’s not about the color of the light, but the quality of the light. Ansel Adams arrived midmorning when the light was “right” to produce his iconic images from Inspiration Point. His iconic book, “Yosemite and the Range of Light,” has had a significant impact on conservation and environmental movements in the West. It also attracts thousands of photographers each year to capture the “Range of Light.” Here are two different Adams photographs taken from Inspiration Point,
www.deanmcleodphotography.com/gallery/ansel-adams-photographer/
and Clearing Winter Storm, one of his more famous images.
www.moma.org/collection/works/52135
While Adams has passed, Clyde Butcher is still with us. Clyde tells the emotional reason, the death of his son, he turned to B&W to explore the Everglades and the peace it has brought him and the beautiful images has given the world.
Hear Clyde tell his own story.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yBUmnlo2-s&t=16s
or how others tell it.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMf5c9Sbimc&t=83s
To see his wonderful work. I visit his gallery often.
Seeing Clydes work, it becomes obvious that the only way to capture this wild untamed land in the real Florida is through Black and White.
Nick Ut’s “Napalm Girl” captured the horrors of the Vietnam War and profoundly impacted the United States. Stripped of distractions, the image exposed the terror in the children’s faces, prompting critical questioning of government actions. W. Eugene Smith’s “Minamata” warned the world. It exposed a corporation poisoning water and killing residents, highlighting the suffering of the Minamata community for profit. William Henry Jackson’s photographs convinced Congress to preserve Yellowstone as the first national park, leading to the creation of the National Park Service and commitment to wild land preservation.
aboutphotography.blog/blog/the-terror-of-war-nick-uts-napalm-girl-1972
www.magnumphotos.com/arts-culture/society-arts-culture/w-eugene-smith-minamata-warning-to-the-world/
www.pbagalleries.com/first-photographic-images-of-yellowstone/
Black and White strips away distractions to expose emotions. It tells unique stories in all photographic genres, from landscapes to social documentaries to portraiture. Check out Annie Leibovitz’s Black and White work.
blog.artsper.com/en/a-closer-look/why-artists-choose-black-and-white-photography/
fstoppers.com/fashion/why-its-still-important-shoot-black-and-white-48141
www.designspiration.com/save/1600176374707/
Another resource is the “Daybooks of Edward Weston,” though dated, still relevant.
I invite all to take a look at the weekly B&W thread and those with interest or curiosity in the Black and White medium to join in a participate. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or a veteran of Black and White photographer, all are welcome. Come join us. The inaugural thread will be introduced on Sunday 2 February.