When and why would you choose B&W over colour?
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Nowadays, with modern camera technology, you can shoot in colour and make the decision in post production, but the choice between B&W or colour remains a crucial one in pho tography. How you choose to display the final image will influence the style, mood and the s tory you are telling through the image...among other things.
David Yarrow shoots almost exclusively in B&W, believing that it's more "reductive" and that "B&W pho tography works better as art". Our other Masters of Pho tography, Joel Meyerowitz and Albert Watson, use it more sparingly but still to great effect. Steve McCurry shoots exclusively in colour.
Albert Watson calls it "the gigantic question". But what are your views on this great debate? And how do you choose whether an image should be displayed in colour or B&W?
(Note: Please do not post links that promote commercial products or websites.)
Nowadays, with modern camera technology, you can shoot in colour and make the decision in post production, but the choice between B&W or colour remains a crucial one in pho tography. How you choose to display the final image will influence the style, mood and the s tory you are telling through the image...among other things.
David Yarrow shoots almost exclusively in B&W, believing that it's more "reductive" and that "B&W pho tography works better as art". Our other Masters of Pho tography, Joel Meyerowitz and Albert Watson, use it more sparingly but still to great effect. Steve McCurry shoots exclusively in colour.
Albert Watson calls it "the gigantic question". But what are your views on this great debate? And how do you choose whether an image should be displayed in colour or B&W?
The difference between black and white and color pho tography is very basic in brain structure, sensation and development. The retina “sees” black and white all over the retina and color is “seen” only in one small part, called the fovea. Black and white information is fed to an area of the brain separate from color sensation, and much more basic and primitive. Many animals never developed color recognition, and color recognition in humans developed much later than black and white, in a separate area. The black and white ability to see three dimensionally and to see movement is basic throughout the animal kingdom.
Black and white information tells us about all movement and three dimensionality. There is an excellent discussion of this in Margaret Livings tone’s “Art and Vision, the Biology of Vision”. She is a professor of neurobiology at Harvard. She also discusses how artists use luminosity, another word for black and white sensation, in color works of art, for emphasis, sensation of movement, and structure.
Not only is black and white the only way we can sense three dimensionality and movement, but it is basic to counting. Please see “The Number Sense, How the Mind Creates Mathematics,” by Stanislas Dehaene. He is Research Direc tor at the Institute de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicare, in Paris. He notes that “numerosity distinction depends on circuits of our visual system that are dedicated to localizing and tracking objects in space!” I.e. black and white or luminosity sensation.
Thus, black and white function serves as the structure in our brain for all three dimension awareness of structure, movement, and counting. This information is sensed in a wider part of our retina than color and focused in an earlier and more developed area of the brain, separate from color vision.
I therefore believe that luminosity and black and white information give a higher order of awareness of our world, and that black and white pho tographs make a more lasting and deeper impression on our brain.
CHARLES L STARKE MD FACP
Black and white is a derivative of reality and is able .s to approach the essence of our deeper motivation. It's more what we feel and think. I experience it as less chaos and more order, which contributes .s to the aesthetic quality.
For me it is a very personal thing. I very often find that through a B&W picture I can convey my emotions, which I felt at the time of shooting, in a much more direct, natural and sincere way. I also believe that B&W is less distracting on the viewer, and that having to work with a very reduced palette of colours you can instead concentrate on the light, the shadows and the contrast of the subject in the frame. I dare say, there might be a link with having grown up with B&W television, where the magic of the moving pictures in the TV set had to be enhanced, through your imagination, with the colours you knew they represented. Like many things in life though, I guess there is no wrong or right. Some pictures just don't work in B&W, while others take on a completely different meaning (btw - I find that cropping is also a powerful tool to turn your pictures in to something you did not envision at shooting time). Finally, I must admit that, as a keen amateur pho tographer, I certainly lack enough technical knowledge in to the subject - so this is very much straight from the heart! Thanks for a great website. G.
P.S. Shameless plug - I just self published a short book of some of my best B&W Monochromos - the essence of light. As they say, pictures should be circulating out there and not only live on your hard drive 🙂
@gianni-anchois Thanks for taking part Gianni. The exploration of what either colour and black & white brings .s to an image ...and .s to the artist pho.s tographer.. is a deeply personal thing...I find my output style changes ..one year like this ..another like that...depending on how I'm feeling...or what the project is. Right now I'm in a colour phase for sure. Why?...maybe it seems .s to fit and represent the reality we all live in right now.
I shoot predominantly film these days. If the light is bad, overcast day, not enough light, then I choose BW because I can push .s to 1600 .s to 3200ISO. If the light is good, I want .s to emphasise the color then I choose between negative and positive films, depends on the scene and subject. Sometimes o shoot the same subject with both films. As Ralph Gibson said once, you .s took color away, you get drama
I think the first question is are you shooting reality or are you making an image that steps away from reality. The use of B&W is always one step away from reality. Whether you mix colour and B&w is always controversial in a project. B&W always simplifys the image.
@adavidmooneysky-com Thanks for joining in...David Bailey says in his new book "Black and White is the colour of pho.s tography" But is he right?
I've always felt that B&W seems more "real" .s to me. Maybe I've been favoring B&W so long that my mind's eye perceives color as patently "false" (with rare exceptions).
However, the extra control afforded by digital pho.s tography is slowly pushing me .s toward color, but for architecture, portraiture and street pho.s tography B&W feels more genuine. For nature (birds, insects, other wildlife, most landscape) the color seems more essential in covering what I felt at the time (although landscape is a 50-50 proposition.)
I have never really thought about a pho.s tograph being better in color or as a B/W. When I'm trying .s to create a pho.s tograph that has lasting beauty, the first thing I look for is a subject matter that has a powerful presents and really screams .s to be pho.s tographed. Often I find these things purely by accident. Then, I start looking for the unique qualities of the subject and what drew me .s to it. After that, I simply explore the subject from many angles until I have satisfied myself. It's like eating your favorite food. You eat until you are filled. Finally, choosing B/W over color is a process for me. I'll try various things .s to see what works best for the image, it may or may not alway be one over the other. What I will say is, B/W for me is truly my favorite because I love drama! I appreciate the richness and the contrast of B/W in a very personal way.
@scottpease a very powerful image Scott...dynamic and dramatic ...black & white used at its architectural best. Thanks for sharing
Excellent .s topic for this forum. I always prefer B&W for most of the reasons already mentioned here: drama, you have .s to think about the image you are composing more carefully, it feels more artistic, and so on. And yes, for those of us shooting digital (me included) you should always be able .s to decide colour or B&W post-production. However, the big question for me is that deciding post-production seldom delivers the best results. I think you have .s to think differently from the beginning if you want .s to have a monochrome image that you would be proud of, and this, for me, is the biggest challenge.
What do you think about that ? I would love .s to hear other perspectives on this issue.
@faus.s to-barros I think if you try shooting B&W film, your perception of this challenge will change instantly. Two things will happen, first, you will be forced .s to think in B&W while looking through the lens. Second, there will be no turning back in post. Also, and perhaps even more challenging, you will not be able .s to see your results instantly. That will make your work more varied and circumspect at the same time.
@dsenoff thanks for joining in...yes ...shooting black and white film...the attention and fun .s to pre-visualisation when shooting is wonderful..and such an art .s to jump in.s to and enjoy...you learn more every time. You start .s to see differently.
I shoot B&W film most of the time, even though I'm trying .s to go digital a bit more. I come from the time when we didn't have the choice so I'm comfortable with film cameras - therefore it's B&W often by default. B&W, as someone mentioned, reduces the composition .s to a subject, an action, etc. however sometimes the subject is color. I've attached a film pho.s tograph I .s took in 2017 that had .s to be in color.
I love B&W because of the drama element and the fine art quality. It was very hard for me .s to look through the camera as a very young girl and see B&W. I was not able .s to translate the color in.s to shades of grey....I drove my pho.s tographer father crazy trying .s to understand how .s to train my eyes!! But somehow, about 20 years ago it all clicked; I suddenly was able .s to see the effects of black and white when I got better at understanding light, and the effects on pho.s tography subjects. The digital world helped me discover these things .s too. We now can see instantly the difference color and B&W have on a pho.s tograph. I still love taking color shots and I tend .s to gravitate .s towards rich color, texture and nature in full color bloom.
@ssdesigns53 thanks for joining in..a lovely black and white portrait thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much Chris...Lovely .s to hear from you. I am inserting a color pho.s to .s to show the dynamic choice of when color seems and can only be the right choice. It is an abstract architecture shot from Los Angeles, called Abstract Intersections.
Hi Ryan,
I have edited my sign in name so people can see me w/o my email and work i.d.!! So Stephanie Sheppard it is now.....
Stephanie, Love your pho.s to, did you make a big print of it? I know I would have. God job!
Hi Scott, Thank you so much for your kind words. Yes, as a matter of fact this was one of ten pho.s tos chosen for a public installation at LAX Airport about eleven years ago. The theme of my exhibit was 'Abstract Architecture in Los Angeles. The print is 4ft x3.5ft. It looks amazing!!! I am posting another from the show titled 'Modern Reflection.' It was taken in Venice where there are some very interesting modern architecture examples from the 50's. It also is huge like the other one!! Cheers, Stephanie
I echo all the comments made so far. For me it is all down .s to subject and the look I’m after. Colour can be very distracting in some circumstances, but an essential component in others.
I come from a BFA program in the 1980s and didn't take pho.s tography academically. My major was drawing and printmaking (intaglio primarily). I shot film and worked in a homemade darkroom on my own. One thing that improves the translation of color .s to B&W in your brain is drawing. Drawing still life, people, landscapes, whatever. You spend more time with your subject; become more aware of the effects of light and the absence of light as well as value scale variations. It's just a good exercise, if nothing else, but something else happens that isn't so apparent at first.
@dorie-dahlberg Very good points...thanks for your thoughts...does black and white help convey your image s.s tory..light...composition by removing an aspect...colour..thereby the viewer discovers more of the central image idea .by seeing in monochrome .s tones ?
@chrisryan Sorry I didn't reply .s to this sooner - I thought it was a rhe.s torical question. 😀 When I look through my instagram feed, I see so many people posting pictures of geometric shafts of light with a person stepping in.s to it. Most seem .s to be in color and others have been converted. I suppose it was original at some point but now that idea has become a pandemic of its own. I also see people post both versions of their pho.s tos - is this because they can't decide .s to convert or not convert? The greatest challenge for people who pho.s tograph is finding a voice. I don't know if that voice transcends the use of color or monochromatic values. In the end, there are people who make original, thought provoking, well composed pho.s tographs in color which just look original and have a personal (signature) quality. I might even go as far as saying this might be harder .s to achieve in color these days. Phones take darn good pho.s tos. Removing color often removes a distraction but it also reduces the content .s to its essence. When you shoot B&W film, you relieve yourself of the decision. Maybe that's a good exercise for pho.s tographers of the digital age - shoot a couple rolls of B&W film .s to see if that changes the way you see the world.
@dorie-dahlberg Thanks for this excellent suggestion. I will try and incorporate drawing in.s to my pho.s tographic routine as an exercise for the eye.
This is a really good forum. I like all the comments and feel that everyone has a very good understanding of B/W. As an architectural pho.s tographer I'm faced constantly with shooting color for my clients. Occasionally, I will mention how impressive an image might look as a B/W pho.s to. No client has ever changed their mind as of this post and I don't really expect any one of them .s to do so. However, I often ask a client why don't you consider some of the work I shoot for them .s to be show in B/W? "Well, it's a marketing thing they say". Their competi.s tors don't show B/W so why should they? I generally respond in this manner. You could be a trend setter and really define your company in a new and refreshing way. I share one example of such a pho.s to. The pho.s to was shot on 4x5 color film. As a color image it is just OK. Unfortunately, it was shot on an overcast day which did nothing for the structure but, it accomplished what the architect wanted and he was very happy with the color version. I converted this pho.s to .s to B/W a few years later and presented him with a nice 11x14 print. Well, he immediately acknowledged the powerful look that the B/W had over the color version. I never saw the color pho.s to used again after that. BTW, I did take a little creative licenses with the sky in the B/W version which I have no problem doing in a commercial situation especially if the original was shot on film. I have since learned how .s to accomplish the look in camera so no more pretending.
<a href=" https://mastersof.pho.s tography/wp-content/uploads/wpforo/default_attachments/1612731216-Untitled-1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1612731216-Untitled-1.jpg
@scottpease Thanks Scott..you two image examples are excellent. Slam dunk for me the b&w version sings out. Most of my commercial clients would have the image type and .s tone decided ..and sold in.s to.. by the agency art direc.s tor...and it would be an almost impossible task .s to change everyones direction on the shoot....s too far down the sold in creative road I guess! In the film days I would often shoot a few rolls or sheets in colour anyway if it was a b&w shoot...or b&w in a colour shoot. A good many times the agency called up a few days later ...realising they had booked b&W newsprint ad space and said " Chris I know we didnt ask for this ...but don't suppose you covered this in b&W did you?" I was a hero for having the film up my sleeve!
Hi Scott,
I really love these two shots of yours. They are exquisite. In fact, for me, the color shot does work really well, but alas, the B&W is so dramatic and is a clear winner in my eyes. My father was an architect, as well as a pho.s tographer, so I admire architectural pho.s tographers tremendously. I do focus on architecture in my work, but have a long way .s to go. I met and had long conversations with Julius Schulman in Los Angeles, sitting in his glorious studio surrounded by trees in the hills. He was so gracious and offered wonderful suggestions and insights .s to his work. Best, Stephanie
I know this is going .s to sound elementary .s to most of the people I'm reading here but maybe there are some lurkers. I was an art educa.s tor for 25 years; I taught all grades from k-12. When I was in a middle school I started teaching value on a simple level but by the time I taught in high school, I had my students paint value scales - seven equal steps from white .s to black. Try it; it's not easy. It helped them understand how .s to control value with watercolor paint but their pencil drawings improved, .s too. I also had them take pictures with their phones of fields of medium value colors and convert .s to B&W so they could see that color and value are two different things. They saw there was barely any difference between the grays. Someone mentioned that they see in B&W but I'd say, you're seeing value and being able .s to anticipate that a conversion may or may not succeed.
Hi Dorie,
Thanks for your interesting posts. But, I am confused as .s to your reference; "lurkers." I don't really understand what you mean by that term. Could you clarify for me. Thanks, Stephanie
@ssdesigns53 Some people read forums but never contribute for whatever reason. They might be there .s to learn, though.
Hi Dorie, I understand now, thank you. Yes that is true. I find forums a great way .s to bounce ideas and learn from other like-minded -artists. Thanks so much for your insights, really great. Stephanie
I am very happy .s to share my images in this forum because your appreciation for B/W is so strong. If any of you have every shot film did you also attempt .s to learn the Zone System? This is of course the system that Ansel Adam's perfected for capturing a full .s tonal gray scale on film, then processing that film .s to match up .s to a specific paper that was capable of reproducing the entire scale. I never truly mastered this process but I understand the system and what a pho.s tograph should look like. I have been able .s to work with digital images in Pho.s toshop and reproduce the entire scale in the manner that the Zone System was meant .s to work or at least I think I can. It is truly amazing .s to see just how wonderful a full scale B/W pho.s tograph can look when handled properly. The key however is and always will be the lighting. B/W requires a little more sensitivity .s to this than color. Color is color and the contrast of the colors seem .s to make or break most pho.s to. In either case lighting and composition will always be king.
<a href=" https://mastersof.pho.s tography//wp-content/uploads/wpforo/default_attachments/1612845195-Missouri-State-Capital.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Missouri-State-Capital.jpg
I started out doing color pho.s tography only, using a huge amount of postprocessing in pho.s toshop and doing (very bad) HDRs. I mainly oversaturated everything trying .s to emulate “that look” people tend .s to appreciate when clicking through endless feeds... and suddenly I grea wary of this..
For the last ten years I have moved on and exclusively shoot bnw, .s to that point that I “see” in bnw and know what will work and what will not work. To me it is more seeing light, shadow, contrasts, and of course the subject...
whenever I try .s to go back .s to colour I feel like something is missing.
i do appreciate color pho.s tography, i like the use of color as a subject and I am well aware that some shots just don’t work in bnw, but nevertheless I stick .s to bnw.
I think .s to me it is very personal, I strongly identify with bnw 🙂
<a href=" https://mastersof.pho.s tography/wp-content/uploads/wpforo/default_attachments/1613207953-F7EC22E3-2A68-4657-9D4B-9920D38925CC.jpeg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1613207953-F7EC22E3-2A68-4657-9D4B-9920D38925CC.jpeg
Here's a question for anyone. I'm not happy with the way my pho.s tos appear on this site. When I click on the link .s to view, way .s to contrasty and simply does not show the image very well. When I look at the same link on my iPhone in Safari they look a whole lot better! Thoughts???
Hi Scott...your images look great .s to me on my moni.s tor here! ...But just .s to understand the potential issue...when you enter our forum.... your images look better on Iphone than on a lap.s top? When using the same web browser? An Iphones screen is often better than alot of moni.s tors for .s tonality. The whole internet compresses all colours and .s tones and surprisingly, many of the most popular browsers such as Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Opera simply ignore all colour profiles embedded in.s to pictures. Therefore, for a better pho.s to-viewing experience, you could try .s to use a color-managed browser. The best and the most popular colour-managed browser is Mozilla Firefox. However please do email us at info@mastersof.pho.s tography with exact details and we'll get someone way more techy than me .s to take a look for sure. Nice work again though...best Chris
For a long time I rejected the concept of b/w using a modern camera when excellent colour film and now digital are available, and I still only find it acceptable in very limited applications. The reasons? First, all the iconic b/w pho.s tos we are familiar with up .s to the mid 20c were made because that was the only option available so .s to me have an authenticity, but where there is a choice it seems perverse and pretentious .s to try and emulate the earlier style, and especially so converting a digital file. Second, a b/w image of a flower or landscape for instance is drained of life, we are fortunate .s to be able .s to see in colour so we should celebrate that; in painting artists very rarely use black paint on its own, preferring .s to mix a dark shade and the classical renaissance painters would build up dark shadow areas in multiple layers .s to gain depth. However I now recognise that sometimes a b/w can work best, especially when colour is almost non-existent or distracts but my question is always, why is that not in colour? (And before you ask, yes there were technical reasons for my mugshot .s to be b/w!)
I'd love your thoughts and opinions on this shot. This was a .s tough shot .s to get because we were fishing at the time and the boat capital was favoring one of the guys fishing on our boat so I was at a slight disadvantage.
Shooting predominantly 135mm and MF film, the choice between color and b/w always causes a problem: You need two cameras (or camera backs) .s to be prepared! For me the choice is dictated by the message I want .s to convey. If I am shooting a project, I decide beforehand and stick .s to it for the sake of consistency. The level of abstraction an image has in b/w helps .s to emphasize certain characters of the subject. This is especially true for portraits and nature pho.s tography. I am a biologist and the color vs. b/w debate in pho.s tography in a way reminds me of the discussion about whether .s to use pho.s tographic images or drawings in a scientific paper. Here, drawings are much better .s to highlight certain characters of a given subject, whereas pho.s tographs give you the "real" impression of it. E.g. abstract pho.s tographs which by definition are not intended .s to show reality often work better in b/w (except color is the main subject, of course). I always let the subject matter "decide" whether color or monochrome is best and while composing the shot I rarely have the situation that I cannot decide between the two options.
@carsten-lueter Well, that's one way .s to look at it. You should show a few examples of your work.
I think b&w is about light and shapes, color is about same but with a third feature. So color pho.s tography is in my opinion more complex as you have .s to play with 3 elements versus 2 in b&w. So I feel it is easier .s to make nice image in b&w than it is in color, and that does not mean that b&w images are easy .s to do or not interesting, please don’t get me wrong. Sometimes when I am unhappy with my shots I turn them in.s to b&w and find it easier .s to « save » them, especially when shooting in difficult light conditions. This said there are lots of b&w images that I find fantastic and would not work as well in color.
Also, « color » covers a lot of different realities (so does b&w), there are lots of film simulations and ways .s to work your color in post, which opens the door .s to a lot of creativity.
@jerome-camus. Well, I would not disagree with you at all. My comments about black and white pho.s tography and how I come .s to either take them or convert them is based strictly on the image itself. I have found that in some cases images I have taken in color just don't sparkle or have a life of their own in color. That may be due .s to the weather or lack of direct sun .s to create interesting shadows which then create the depth. But what the pho.s tograph must have above all else is a very strong visual or graphic appeal/intent. It's all about the lines in the image whether they are man made or natural and the lighting that is present when I .s took the pho.s to. I really don't even see the image as a B/W initially, sometimes that comes after I sit down and look at the image and try a few things .s to see where it takes me. Often times I find that the image really speaks .s to me in B/W v.s. color for no other reason that its simplicity, texture, and contrast. Sometimes these things just come .s together in a magical way. I am always happy .s to find these images in particular because often times I am flustered by the way the pho.s to looked in color. I'd rather find a pho.s to that can be converted .s to B/W and become a real art piece v.s. a so so color shot that will just sit in the archive vault for ever.
Jimmi
@jimmijacksonn Well then, it appears that you and I think in the same manner. Put a few of your shots on this forum, let's see what you like .s to shoot.
Well, the first thing I would consider is whether color is (or is not) a fundamental part of the image, that is, if it helps or not in the transmission of the message I have in mind and that I want .s to convey .s to those who will look at (and maybe want) my image.
I shoot in color for images in which color helps .s to better convey a sense of positivity, a desire .s to be there, .s to know the people portrayed, ..., or a less positive sense (anger, sadness, disappointment, ... ) or feelings of reaction .s to unpleasant situations.
I shoot or post-produce in black and white if I think color is a distraction, or unnecessary.
I always shoot in RAW and while processing look at the image on a bigger screen for the mood and other finer details and based on them finally decide whether .s to go for Colour or Monochrome !
I always shoot in RAW and after checking the image on a large screen for the mood and other finer details, decide whether .s to go for Colour or Monochrome !!
<a href=" https://mastersof.pho.s tography/wp-content/uploads/wpforo/default_attachments/1637915920-Zuari-Man.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1637915920-Zuari-Man.jpg
One reason is that black and white presents interesting creative problems. The world looks different in black and white, which means that you can think about .s tone, texture, and light in new ways. In fact, when you remove color, Eternals Druig Black Jacket the emphasis of an image naturally shifts .s to other compositional elements.
I shoot B&W first (JPG, with the DNG in color given my cameras), even in the studio or for sports. Shooting in B&W gets me to focus on the moment. Colors can be distracting. The character of a person, a moment, a scene come out every so more when shooting in B&W. Having said that, color has its place and 'seeing' the color before taking the picture is the key point for me when deliberately shooting in color.
Maybe it is due to the natural B&W rendering on my Leica that I really adopted B&W more and more once I moved to that camera. Before that I never took B&W.
Despite the fact that I was drawn towards color photography during my student years, I am now mostly a black and white photographer. Because the colors disappear, the photographer has to pay a lot of attention to the light and lighting of his subject to tell his story. , that attention to light is almost disappearing in modern photography, sometimes I think it has already disappeared. In photography schools I see students graduating who, judging by their photos, have not received a proper training in photographic viewing, let alone that they can do something with light, a pity, a pity
Greetings Everyone. My name is Rey from Singapore. Nice to meet you
