I remember as a little girl looking through my mother’s photos of her family. I looked at her and said, “Mom, I am so sorry that you did not have color when you were growing up.” I assumed that the world was in black and white because that’s what the photos looked like. A world devoid of color other than black, white, and gray was less than. I expended all of my 5 year-old empathy skills in feeling the sadness of a world that really didn’t exist.
My husband and I share many interests, one of them is photography. When I met John, he did his own photo developing, in the bathroom of his apartment. He had taken black and white photos for many years. I was more of a Technicolor type person. I shot my photos with color film. This, my friends, was back in the day when people were enslaved to the choice of black and white vs. color. We took a five week long honeymoon to Italy and to Egypt. We both took about 2500 photos. My honeymoon was in color. John’s was in black and white. Both trips were amazing and beautiful.
With digital photography, things changed. Switching between color and black and white was accomplished in a single key stroke. Nonetheless, I found myself NEVER looking at my photos in black and white.
I don’t dislike black and white photography. My husband, whom I adore, has taken wonderful black and white photography. I love Imogen Cunningham, Alfred Stieiglitz, Ansel Adams, and Man Ray. I love their work. But I never saw the absence of color as being MY best way of showcasing the world.
I love color. I love blooming, buzzing, and confusing color. Bright and saturated hues that might scare ordinary mortals. That is what I am drawn to and I would hope that this this reflects my blooming and vibrant personality.
Then it happened. I was CHALLENGED on FACEBOOK to showcase black and white photography by someone with whom I attended high school.
I love a good challenge and this was an interesting one But my first thought was, “No color, oh no.” But again, I love a good challenge s it was not hard to shift from my “oh no” in the space of about 5 seconds.
I love color, I really do. It is seductive. It’s just gloriously beautiful. But without it, there is an upsurge of form, light, shadow, and line. I started looking at my photos stripped of color.
It was like discovering a new universe, a universe comprised of an even smaller collection of essentials.
I am an extroverted person. I love color, I love sound, I love movement. But I am more than that. Life it more than the exclamation points, more than the aspects that are easily noted. My life has structure, line, and light. There is gravitas and a lot of it.
Sometimes I live life too much on the edges, on the flourishes. Then I get the message from life that it is time to strip away, to get back to basics.
I am listening.
I am seeing.
A friend sent me an e-mail. You see the photo in black & white then watch the change to colors. If I still have it , will send.
That sounds cool, Mom!
dear Elizabeth,
what revelation, and what wonder and joy to see your photos posted in black and white! like a whole new world to see what pops, and what some aspects that either dark or light further reveal. oh, I hope your mom has the photo she notes above – I would just be fascinated to see it change into color. I’ve been a little crazy in the head lately – all that envisioning about how life might look as opposed to what it looks like now. wouldn’t it be exciting if we could actually imagine the black/white of vignettes of life, filled in with color – or what might stand out more appealingly when details emerged to let us see nuances we were blind to? Hmmmm – it will be a stretch, but since I’m already stretched upside down and sideways, I am going to think hard and long about that – oooo, I feel an urge to pick up a camera and do some exploring. What an inspiring and most interesting post. and it came just as my soul needed a good nudge to do something creative. thank you!
much love, Karen OOxxOO
I am thrilled that this post struck a creative bone for you. I would love to see your photos!
Oops, Karen! I almost forgot! Here is the link my mom mentioned that shows B&W photos turning into color. http://www.greatdanepro.com/Just%20Colors/index.htm
dear E, thank you! I watched it – spectacular! xoxo K.
Loved reading this – I adore your pics on FB and I have to say they come alive with color. I also love the juxtaposition between shadow and light – it’s a more reflective way of looking at things.
Thank you, Marie! My eyes are attracted to color and this is reflected in my photos, the way I dress, and the fact that nearly every wall in my house is painted a different color. This was an interesting exercise in seeing things differently, which I very much appreciated.
Black an white photography is my favorite. I am able to see texture, shadows and depth in black and white photos. There is an aspect of nostalgia which also appeals to me. Photography, in color or black & white, is such an incredible art form! Great post.
I think you have very well described some of the strengths of B&W photography. Thank you for reading!
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Love this post, your photography, and wonderful extroverted you.