Popularity of Black and White Photography
By Sam Zaydel
While reading some articles and blogs related to décor, by
the way all written by interior decorators, I became very
angry, because the common theme was: “Out with Black and
White, and in with Color.” I have nothing against color;
however, black and white has its place, and it should by no
means be ignored. Why would interior designers stress that
in our color rich world Black and White has no place?
Because, they are interior decorators. Well, I suppose the
answer is a little more complex than that. So, let's
explore this topic.
The World is in Color
While walking down Market street in the heart of San
Francisco's Financial District, I am continuously impressed
with the gamut of color, from white to black and everything
in between. Everything is in color. All advertisements,
banners, flags, everything is saturated with color. The
world is color. Interior decorators and industrial
designers know that bright and saturated colors, and bold
images naturally draw our attention. This is a big reason
why Black and White photography is being replaced. Keep in
mind, interior decorators often know nothing about
Photography and its influence on arts. Most decorators
understand color well, and know how to match color to
create themes palettes, and anything else you want to call
it. I call it harmony. However, there is harmony in Black
and White as well.
The Many Shades of Gray
Black and White photography has something color does not.
It reproduces natural world using all possible shades of
gray, all the way from white to black. Whenever I look at a
Black and White photo, especially one which I have not ever
seen before, I immediately begin to process the image, and
paint the scene in my mind. When we cannot immediately tell
color, we use our minds to reconstruct the image, as it
were in real life. We pay more attention to the intricate
details of a Black and White photo for this very reason. We
notice very intricate details, which are otherwise lost if
the same scene was captured in color. The shades of gray
are a very powerful communication tool. These shades can
tell us which parts of the image are cool, which are warm,
which dark, and light. Shadows become much more interesting
and often more intriguing when expressed in Black and
White.
Tinted Black and White
Black and White photos may be reproduced using an infinite
number of tints and tones. A tone of the photo communicates
its mood, something that color photography, even tinted
does not do nearly as well. Sepia tones communicate warmth,
closeness, and of course remind us of the past. Blueish,
and steel tints are great for architectural and mechanical
photography. High contrast pure Black and White is
excellent for Landscapes, where tonal differences are
great. The options are endless, and there are no hard
rules. When a photo is tinted correctly, it just feels
right. A good Black and White photograph will communicate
not only what has been captured, but the environment
surrounding the scene.
As for interior decorators; forget about it. They set their
own rules, and there is no reason why the rest of us have
to follow them. Interior decorators are not necessarily
experts when it comes to photography, and its selection.
Appreciate Black and White, and display it where “you feel”
it looks good.
Written by Professional Photographer, and an owner of a
Photography Selling Service. To learn more about this, and
many other general, as well as more specific photography
related subjects, or to explore a Fine Art Photography
gallery, please consider visiting WorldonPaper.com
Contemporary Fine Art Gallery. Read more interesting
articles in the Photography and Arts Wiki.