The Advantage of Black-and-White over Color Photography

532 Words2 Pages

In a world where color photography has become the norm people are often surprised at the power of images produced in black and white. I would like to illustrate that black and white photography is a better art form than color photography and that it is not as difficult to be successful as many assumptions indicate. Black and white film gives an aesthetic, craftsman-like quality that is hard to produce in color; it is not a substitute for color but an abstract way of interpreting the world around us.

Over the last two decades shooting in color has become the norm in photography, and amateurs have almost abandoned black and white. This is a great pity, as many color photographs would look better in monochrome. Most people relate immediately to a color photograph, which is not unexpected as we see the world in color. Therefore any color image is relatively acceptable, while an image in black and white has to be perfect to get the attention it deserves. Black and white pictures often have a moody or timeless feel. They are usually used to portray a somber mood or a serious subject. Bl...

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