Black & White

Not all black and white photos are created equal - my photography background began in a black and white dark room, so this is a subject quite dear to me. A black and white photo should have.....blacks and whites. (shocking I know!)

I take my black and white photos very seriously - in fact if I could, I would photograph 90% of my sessions in only black and white - I love the emotion it can create, the timeless feel it can give. By taking out the colour we then are drawn into the subject without distraction - there is nothing I love more than a black and white of newborn baby with their new parents - it is absolutely priceless.

With film not as popular and the digital darkroom now in the mainstream the feel of a true black and white has been lost a bit in many cases. Every computer photo program comes with some sort of "black and white converter" - often it gives a grey effect - which leads to dull, grey looking skin. (which doesn't lead to cute newborn photos - who wants a grey baby?)

In photoshop and many other photo editing programs there are "one click" fixes - often called actions or pre-sets - they can also lead to funky results - many times too dark or too bright - no one wants their hair so light it blends into the sky! (and brides don't normally enjoy having a white blob for a dress - detail retention is important!) When you're choosing a photographer be sure to look at their black and white work - it's often an important clue to how they use light.

There are several books, websites and seminars on this subject - you could spend years reading, practicing and learning about black and white conversion, but it will always come down to this - if you don't have a good photo to start with - one that is properly exposed - you won't get a good black and white photograph (or colour for that matter) - Photography is all about finding the right light and using it to your advantage.

And sometimes the photo just screams to be in colour. :)