Shutter Sisters

Beloved Black and White

By

I began my photo career years before the digital age, at a time where shooting a portrait session took a number of cameras loaded with lots of different kinds of film. The norm for me was simultaneously shooting with three bodies; one loaded with color film, one with b/w film and another with high speed b/w film (1600 for the grainy/artsy stuff). In the end my clients got a good number of proof prints to peruse with a cross section of b/w, color and more b/w. Emphasis on the b/w. It was just kind of my thing—for many many years. Creating black and white images was what I enjoyed most and in the end my favorite shots from any session were -you guessed it- black and white.

Then, a few years ago entered my swift and smooth little digital SLR (that shoots everything in color of course) and the enchanting Adobe Lightroom which helps take that color to a whole new dimension. The last 2 years I have found them to be an irresistible couple that have seduced me into practically forgetting about my beloved black and white. It is only when I see shots like this and this that I am swept up in remembering my passion for the absence of color. For an image that holds the viewer captive with it’s enticing tonal range of whites to light grays to dark grays to the blackest blacks and back again. An image where texture evokes emotion and wonder, and there is no color to distract.

Lately I feel desperate to rediscover that unspoken thing that black and white images bring that drew me to photography in the first place—to rekindle that old flame, and search for ways to restrike that spark in a new world where creative tinder can come from a single stroke of the keyboard.

And you? Where do your loyalties lie? Do you ever feel torn in your processing? Do I or don’t I desaturate? What would make this image the best it can be? How do you decide? And what is your preference? Shed a little light (and shadow) if you would, because I need to know I am not alone in this. Am I?

Comments

  1. There is a love in the darkroom that hours on photoshop can never get close to. The smell, the lights, the seclusion, the way time stops while you do what it takes. I love how quick digital pictures are to work with, and how readily available they are to share… but you can never truly leave the dark room.

  2. I’ve been dreaming of having my own darkroom. I agree with Claudious, there’s nothing like hanging out in the darkroom. I used to help my dad process film when I was little, so those smells are all delicious to me.

    Until then, I occasionally am drawn to a particular texture or crave less distraction from color. So I desaturate. Then everything becomes just….so.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/ssicore/1358132167/in/set-72157604181480994/

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/ssicore/2592434498/in/set-72157604181480994/

  7. i’ve always loved black and white. of course ever since i got my dslr, i’ve been shooting in color. sometimes i check to see what it would look like in b&w, but often i forget.

    just the other day i was thinking i should set my camera to shoot in b&w for a while. you think differently about a photo if you know you’re shooting in b&w.

    anyway, i shot these 2 pictures yesterday in color, but after reading this post, i converted them to b&w. now i’m not sure which i like better!

    http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/onblack.php?id=2735371978&size=large

    http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/onblack.php?id=2735372028&size=large

  9. once again, i’m thinking to myself "yes, yes, yes!" as i’m reading here. since first discovering lightroom and photoshop, i often find some photos scream for black and white, while others can’t resist a color pop. but most of the time, i don’t know where the processing road will lead and lately, i find myself somewhere in between.

    http://flickr.com/photos/tracimeyer/2714766123/

  10. I am the complete opposite, Tracey! I *never* took a black and white photo until digital came along and I could post-process my colored ones to B&W. I still have barely dipped a toe into that water, but here’s one of the first shots I processed that I really loved: http://tinyurl.com/5cwsnm

  12. there is just something about film-the spontaneity of it, the element of surprise. never knowing if the film actually loaded right or not (oh yes…oops…. it slipped right off)
    but more than that, it seems to have more life-it has more depth. we fall in love with all the little flaws because it’s there, we can’t just photoshop it out. and it really just makes the picture that much better…
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/edarcy/2700212944/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/edarcy/2699395595/

  17. I love Ansel Adams and I love B&W photography. From early on it was the B&W photos that beckoned me to listen to the story they told. Color photos are like being in a crowded room with hundreds of voices clammoring to get your attention. B&W is you and a few close friends speaking quietly, urging you to listen intently.

    B&W will always be my first love.

    http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2084/2537362616_6e671b388c_o.jpg
    http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2254/2528101483_b90d9f7561_b.jpg
    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3133/2528105717_df3759c783_o.jpg

  18. I love black and white photography! Sometimes a picture will just beg for black and white, sometimes I just like playing with them to see how they turn out.

    http://www.wineonthekeyboard.com/2008/05/05/i-live-in-a-black-and-white-world/

    My personal all time favorite reason for converting to black and white? Kate from Chronicles of a Country Girl was watching Roman Holiday so she was inspired to convert all her photos on her blog post. *g Love her photography AND her sense of humor.

    http://chroniclesofacountrygirl.blogspot.com/

  24. I started out loving the vibrance and hyper-realism of color when taking photographs. It is so easy to be dazzled by color.

    However, in figuring out how to deal with certain shots that just didn’t seem to work out in color, I discovered B&W (and sepia tone). I feel like I have two loves now, one in color and one in tones of gray. Each one is has a perfect place, depending on the image I am working with.

    I do find that B&W gives me more room for magic, though.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/tangobaby2/2731297824/

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/tangobaby2/2579337798/in/set-72157605619267486/

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/tangobaby2/2730491013/

  25. I love to look at the B&W my grandfather took. I never knew him since he died when my Mom was 15. But in away I do know him because when I look at his photos I get to see the world through his eyes. Several years ago I was given his camera and it’s proudly displayed next to some of the pictures he took.

    I’ve only stepped my toes into the B&W pool so I don’t have any to share just yet.

  26. I am so struggling with this right now! I actually am even seriously considering converting my portrait photography business back to film. I love experimenting with different cameras and speed of film.
    What I love most of all, is touching my images. With digital I find so many just stay in a virtual world and never get printed. I loved shifting the prints around on a table top, holding the fiber print when it arrived from my lab. I was proud to hand those images over to my clients. Knowing they would last a lifetime.
    I feel as though I have a split personality when it comes to my photography.
    A majority of the images on my site are presently all b/w film. http://www.cariefrabotta.com
    Sometimes, now, when I look at my color images…I just don’t know if they are "me", the true expression of myself.
    I love the works of Karen Carey & Simone Hanckel they are still successfully shooting all b/w film for their clients.
    Thanks for posting this: I know I’m not alone either….

  28. I feel so lucky to have access to the darkroom at school because I’m a photo student. All the years I have shot photography, I have shot in black and white film. Only recently did I begin trying to shoot with color film. However, I do wish I had a dslr that would let me choose.

    Isn’t it wonderful that we have a wide array of choices as far as our photography goes?

  29. I’ve always loved B&W photography. There is just something that is so timeless and classic about it. Especially those beautifully grainy film photos. Gorgeous! I even joined a wildly popular B&W group on Facebook and love to soak in all their beautiful images.

    Strangely enough though, most of my images are in colour. I do the occasional B&W conversion like here:
    http://www.dolcepics.com/dailypic/daddys-touch

    and when tried out a new conversion method here:
    http://www.dolcepics.com/articles/black-and-white-conversion/

    But I always process a colour copy as well. I’m just as torn about it as you are. Lukily, we can have the best of both worlds! Do both! 🙂

  32. I find my love of b&w goes in waves. In the wintertime the world is so black and white, that when spring comes I crave color. I actually took a few shots last winter that looked b&w, but they weren’t. They were color.

    Now that I’ve had a few months of wonderful yummy colors I am starting to love b&w and desaturated photos again.

    I have so many favorites for b&w, but this is a recent one:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/kraft/2566994144/in/photostream/

    and a recent favorite in desaturated color:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/kraft/2729811856/in/photostream/

  35. I love the power and gentleness of black and white photography. You see what is really there without the distraction of color.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/ldb/1175613638/in/set-72057594114570083/

    With self-portraits, I see details I might not normally pay attention to when I remove the color. I love it. They end up being some of my most powerful shots…you really notice the emotion.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/ldb/2694506022/in/set-72057594120121854/

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/ldb/138505743/in/set-72057594120121854/

  36. It seems that I convert the pictures that might be visually imperfect, but emotionally perfect for whatever reason. Black and white forgives my inability to capture the color just right. And really, that is why I take pictures in the first place – to capture those moments that are emotionally perfect in my life. 🙂 I am a big fan of black and white.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/veridianblue/2662595851/

  37. There is something about B&W flower and plant photos. I love how you can see every tiny detail b/c there’s no color to distract.

    I like to use black & white for detail shots, like the hand shot of my Little H and husband you linked. (THANK YOU!) And I love to make shots of my kids or people where you can’t *quite* see all of their faces into B&W. It seems to convey the emotion more and that’s what it’s all about, right? Still, I get infatuated with new color actions & things & go through stages! I do love my black & white though. It’s timeless.

  41. I’ve never processed my photos in any way. I don’t know how! (Yet.) I just point, and shoot. What I see is what you get. But on my urban wanderings this past weekend, I decided to set my P&S to the b/w setting. I love urban landscape in b&w – it all looks so classy! 🙂

    Here are two shots of my bus stop down the street. I go there every day, yet had never looked at it through the camera lens before.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jagspace/2729828537/in/set-72157606526891774/

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jagspace/2730661818/in/set-72157606526891774/

    jag
    xox

  43. Wow, it was probably close to 15 years ago that I was taking photography courses and spending all my time in the darkroom. I miss that so much.
    I don’t often convert my digital photos to B&W since color is such an important part of my composing the photos. And while I have plans to take another class in the future to get back in the darkroom, I’m getting my B&W fix with my new Holga!

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/elfini/sets/72157605079326494/

    But I will admit it is hard to get my brain to "think" in B&W again. We’ll see how the next roll turns out.

  51. thank you so much tracey for including me in your wonderful post. i am honored to play even a small part in you rediscovering your passion for black and white. this is such a stunning photo. thank you again.

  52. Tracy, you’re not alone at all. I’ve always loved black and white, similar to your experience. Since getting a DSLR I’ve shot (as its the only way) colour and it seemed so many people preferred viewing the colour. But lately I have been playing with post processing to see how it changes or enhances an image. I’m loving the desaturation especially because it’s a form of play: do it this way first, then dabble like a painter with removing colour rather than adding it. I love it. Here’s one of my more recent offerings … you’ve inspired me to begin posting more of my black and white rather than simply enjoying them on my own.

    Here is after the rain (and after playing):
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/27458974@N00/2738898132/

    and here is one that I adored after I played with colour, then b&w, then finally settling on sepia:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/27458974@N00/2723301012/
    (I love the ‘story’ this seems to speak to me)

    Saturated and de-saturated,
    Diane