There is something compelling about black & white photography; its nostalgic link to photography’s roots, the emphasis on composition, or perhaps a vision more focussed without the distraction of colour.
In many ways black & white photography is the anthesis of my photo impressionistic passions. Its like you are looking through a new lens. Perhaps that explains the dichotomy in my portfolio. I spend a lot of time exploring Impressionism and then when I need a break I reach for my infrared converted cameras and shoot black & white.
I finally had a chance yesterday to post a collection of 20 of my favourite black & white images. You can find the Gallery here.
Looking at the collection it seems to me that I am attracted to the rich textures infrared produces. The image below, taken from the south rim of the Grand Canon bings reminds me of the visual richness of early morning looking down into the valley. Above that the infrared of a frozen great lakes steamer nicely captures the cold of that winter moment.
While photo impressionism is still my main focus I am looking forward to shooting black & white at every opportunity.
Resources
Infrared Camera Conversions:
I recently had my old Fujifilm S5 Pro converted by Life Pixel. They did a great job.
Black & White Conversion Technique
My approach to to black & white conversion has been greatly influenced by Vincent Versace. His book is a bible on the subject. Vincent Versace’s black & white conversions book
Related Posts:
A GREAT BLACK AND WHITE READ: VINCENT VERSACE’S OZ TO KANSAS
Great post. I think black and white is almost a requirement of working as a photographer. Not only is it acknowledging our rich history, but it is a way for us to practice and perfect our methods of creating a tonal structure in our color images.