52 Weeks — #36
Occasionally things are better when they're black and white
When it comes to most things, I’m not a person who thinks in terms of black and white. I try not to look at issues in absolutes, and always have understood that every story has two or more sides.
I can’t begin to tell you how many times I implored our children to look at the “other side” of an argument or issue, noting that understanding where the person was coming from was important too, no matter whether you disagreed with them or not.
I’ve taken this approach in my photography as well. Some photos, I think, are better served when they are black and white, while others almost demand to remain in color. This viewpoint is, of course, subjective, but isn’t that the case with all art?
For this edition of “52 Weeks,” I decided to use only random black and white images from my collection of photos. These aren’t ones I necessarily would deem my best — again, it’s difficult to be absolute about something that is inherently subjective — but ones meant to spark discussion.
In each image, I can make a case for each photo working better in black and white than it would in color. Do you agree? Disagree? Do you like black and white photography, or do you prefer color?
I’m curious to see what you think.
For years, I did virtually no color work. Only B&W. Processed and printed myself. I guess with the advent of digital, I can still shoot in color and magically turn them to B&W, but I preferred the old fashioned way. Often used a red filter to make the sky black or a green filter to turn the grass and trees to white. Love your work. Especially the railroad. I lived beside the railroad for over half my life. The tracks never ceased to interest me visually. Trestles and bridges add to the ambiance. Thanks.
All of these look great in black and white and I can’t imagine them looking any better in colour. I really like the skyscraper photo.