Black & White vs. Color

Photo by: Tim Bindner

After recently writing about my “why” I began thinking a bit more about that subject and “why” I love photography. Specifically, the unique appeal between color and monochrome (black and white) for me.

Many people I know dislike, or don’t prefer monochrome photography. My wife is one, my friend Mark is another. I have found that a vast majority of people have similar tastes. I do not.

I set my camera up to view in black and white, regardless of the outcome of the picture I capture. This is how I compose each of my shots. I also have the luxury with digital technology to turn a color photo into black and white and vice versa.

I began my photography career in high school shooting, developing, and printing all in black and white. Part of this was because of the price (black and white was cheaper), and partly because they printed our high school newspaper in black and white. Again, due to cost. Black and white were also more popular and easier to produce prints from. Finally, our on-sight photo developing department could only produce black and white prints.

My first influence after beginning my photography journey was an American Photojournalist named W. Eugene Smith. They introduced me to his work when someone on the high school newspaper staff had a book lying on their desk of his work. I picked it up and started looking through the pages.

In 1969, they produced the book titled ‘W. Eugene Smith: His Photographs and Notes: An Aperture Monograph’. As I thumbed through the book, my quick scanning of each page and photograph was clear. Eugene Smith: His Photographs and Notes: An Aperture Monograph’. As I thumbed through the book, my quick scanning of each page and photograph quickly slowed down and I began to stop and look intently at each photograph. I studied the pure emotion, intensity, and lighting on each creation from Eugene Smith. I was just amazed. Every photograph seemed to grab hold of me and draw me in. From that day forward, including when I shoot today, I strived to achieve what I see in his work. W. Eugene Smith is my photographic hero.

As I age, I say things my parents did, like my grandparents did, and what every generation did before. I feel what I learned in photography was the best. The methods I learned were the best. The photographs from that era ARE the best. Through advances in technology, I can produce images closer to what I produced when I was shooting film back in the mid 1980’s. All without the use of chemicals, current high cost of film and time commitment to produce a print today. Ironically, I have an expensive digital camera that I used to produce what a much cheaper film camera did so many decades ago. Call is vintage or nostalgia, or simply the good old days.

I shot a roll of Ilford XP2 Super 400 Black and White, 36 exposure film, recently. As a result, I learned digital photography is easily my preference. However, those few shots I took with my old film camera reaffirmed one thing for me. Black and white photography and photographs will always be my favorite. My plan is to not only shoot without color, but given a choice, black and white will be my first love and far outnumber my color shots.

Human beings see in color. Most color-blind people even see some color. Only monochromatic have complete color blindness, but this is very rare. A true black-and-white photo has three colors. Black, white, and gray. Various shades of each color, but those are all. There is a reason black and white movies look better. More artistic. More dramatic. Same applies to photographs. Black and white photographs are a different version of the world we see every day, but more enhanced and detailed.

To me, black and white photography is the art of capturing the essence of a moment in time, without the distraction of color. Black and white photography is about emotion. It is about capturing light, contrast, and texture. Black and white allows the little details of a photograph to come through without competing for attention with color.

Links to references above:

1. Eugene Smith – https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/w-eugene-smith/

Until next time,

Tim