When does black and white photography work
Preface
Color film (negative or slide) was offered alongside black and white for decades. A lot of photographers in the analog era, people who used the camera for more than capturing memories, showed a clear preference for the latter. They were straight-out photographers, in the sense that they were personally involved in all the three stages of creating a photograph:
Shooting: They would frame the subject, set the camera and press the shutter button. The light reflected from the subject, through the lens, fell on the film and formed the latent image, an image initially invisible to the human eye.
Film Development: Through this chemical process, they made the latent image on the film visible.
Film printing: Through this process, they transferred the film image onto the photographic paper.
Developing black and white film was easier and more economical than color. This was one of the reasons for preferring black and white. But not the primary. Subjects that "write" beautifully in black and white often don't look good in color. On the other hand, "vivid" color photos look boring in black and white.
For the photographers of the old, this meant that they had to consciously choose subjects that looked good in black and white. They did not choose it as a convenient medium, but primarily as a creative expression, emphasizing form, texture, tonal contrast and emotion. Typical examples are Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier Bresson, Man Ray. Most experimented with color, but remained known for their black and white photography.
Tetons and the Snake River, Original Photograph by Ansel Adams
Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare, Pont de l'Europe, Paris, 1932, Original Photograph by Henri Cartier Bresson
Tears, 1932, Original Photograph by Man Ray
All this seemed to change in the modern era. Whereas in analog the photographer had to consciously decide what kind of film to load, depending on the subject, in digital that choice has been removed. Now the sensors capture exclusively in color. Any conversion is done afterwards using digital processing software, on a PC.
Such a conversion does not automatically impart artistic quality to a photograph. We have to develop, in advance, a perception of what subjects perform best in black and white, in a way similar to the photographers of the past. As a direction, cases where this works well are the following:
Shadows
When photographing in black and white, the shadows have a strong influence. They no longer are just darker areas of the frame and become an important element of the frame.
Especially, when the sun is low on the horizon it creates long shadows, that can be accentuated through black and white photography. These can work wonderfully as leading lines in the frame composition. In the image below they act as a leading line to the sun star.
High Tonal Contrast
In scenes with high tonal contrast, i.e. where shadows and highlights dominate, the colors distract attention. In contrast, black and white emphasizes this contrast and creates a sense of dynamic tension.
Geometric Shapes and Lines
The human eye is automatically drawn into shapes. In the absence of color the only way to identify a subject is its shape. By offering focal points in a frame, shapes direct the viewer's gaze and simplify the photograph.
Textures
While shapes are the building blocks of a frame, textures can influence its character. Hard textures lend a more restless and dynamic style, while the opposite happens with smooth ones. The simultaneous presence of both can provide an additional level of contrast. In the photo below, on the left, we see the contrast between the smooth flow of water and the wild texture of the concrete, while on the right the contrast between the rough texture of the stone and the smooth texture of the floor.
Negative Space
It is the empty space around the subject. When it does not contribute to the color harmony of the photo we can try the black and white approach.
Feelings
Every successful photo must evoke emotion. The black and white approach can decisively influence the style and atmosphere of the frame, helping the photographer to enhance the emotion of the photograph.
The above can work individually or in combination
The instances, where the black and white approach works best, can be implemented individually or in combination. It should be noted that all these are indicative and the final decision is left to the photographer, based on his experience and instinct.
In conclusion
Black and white photography is a difficult process. By removing colors, the photographer must work with light, shadows and compositional elements to convey emotion. This takes practice, but it's all worth it. Some stories are better told in black and white.
