When and Why to Make a Photo Black and White
I’m a fan of black and white photography. A lot of subjects that fall short in color look evocative and powerful when captured in shades of gray. But it’s not always easy to decide if a photo should be color or black and white. Today, I’ll explain how I choose.
When the Photo Should Be Black and White
I’d categorize three broad reasons why an image should be converted to black and white:
- When the color in the scene is distracting or unsightly
- When the mood evoked by the colors is different from the mood you want to convey
- When you wish to depart somewhat from reality
1. Unappealing Colors
The first reason to shoot in black and white is, simply, that the color of the scene isn’t very good. Colors can easily be distractions in a photo, since they’re some of the first things our eyes gravitate toward in a frame. If you consider the colors in your shot to be ugly or distracting, and you don’t want a viewer’s eye to gravitate there, black and white is a great solution. The black and white image fixes these problems and draws more attention to the reason I took this photo.
2. Unwanted Mood in the Colors
Another way that colors can take away from your image is if they convey the wrong mood. They’re a bit too warm and inviting; I’m aiming for a colder feeling. It’s just that they carry emotions that I don’t want in the photo. Converting to black and white for the image fixes this impression and better evokes the mood I want.
3. A Departure from Reality
Even so, black and white is still a departure from reality. I find this departure to be a useful artistic tool. At times, it can nudge a viewer to consider the artistry behind the image instead of seeing it as a straightforward shot of a literal subject. Depending on the scene, black and white can also have an old-fashioned feel – or timeless, if you prefer – where the image seems like it could have been taken long ago. I believe that as photographers and artists, departing from reality is an essential part of the creative process. If accuracy is all we ever aimed for, so much of the photographer’s vision and artistry would be lost.
Case Study: 8x10 Portraits of US Olympic Athletes
In the world of newspaper photographers, you'd be hard to find someone consistently making more exciting and interesting portraits than Jay L. Clendenin. For this year's Olympics, he decided to go even bigger and bring out his 8x10 Tachihara view camera to capture some amazing photos of American athletes. The images range from haunting to stoic. As anyone who has shot a large-format camera knows, it's a tedious process that takes time and patience. Shooting large format really does slow me down and allow for a little more interaction with my subjects, which i hope will yield a more fruitful collaboration!
Professional Estimates for 8x10 Photography
Regarding the immense expense of shooting, processing, and scanning 8x10 film, consider the following data provided by industry professionals:
- Kodak Portra 8x10 film (box of 10 sheets): $164
- Processing costs: $8-10 per sheet
- Average cost per shot: $20
For this project, Clendenin chose the paper negative because 8x10 film is prohibitively expensive.