Black and white photography has been a formidable force in the artistic realm for many years
Many people consider this approach to taking pictures to be extremely challenging. It takes a talented eye to focus on the right subjects for black and white photography. Even though the process takes some considerable talent, many people embrace this form of photographic endeavor as the image-taking strategy of choice.
Perhaps the biggest draw to this kind of photograph is its appeal to raw emotion. Black and white photography manages to create the stark contrasts between light and dark that seems to get lost in different shades of color. The subtle grey tones introduce different degrees of depth and interest but the polar opposites of black and white are always in force in these compositions.
The subject never gets lost in the emotions evoked through colors. Black and white photography strips away the feelings commonly associated with certain hues. The focus is on the image, not on the colors in the composition. Stripping away the color is a process that forces the onlooker to take in the image as it is in form, not as it is in color.
For this reason, some believe that black and white photography reaches an emotional depth that is lost when the confusion of color comes into play. We are not so much taken back by the subject’s green eyes and auburn hair. We are taken in by her expressive eyes and the texture of her hair.
This is a whole new way of looking at things. We love color and we commonly describe things in terms of their hues. Consider just about any descriptive narrative that you have heard. Most will describe the colors and forms rather than the texture and emotive forces within the image. That is, unless the subject is black and white photography.
If you really want to create a composition that offers great interest that goes beyond the glow, you may want to embrace black and white photography. There are a plethora of black and white photography supplies available online and there are many beautifully moving pictures as well. If you are not up for a new hobby, perhaps you are up for a new image.
