The Power of Black and White Photography

It’s interesting how sometimes older technologies or art forms take on an even greater value when they are made obsolete by the new and modern.

When color photography came on the scene, it seemed the days of black and white in both video and photography were over forever.

But that was certainly not the case with black and white photography. Over the years we have seen photography take on a new artistic value in both genres.

It’s not unusual to visit a fine art museum and find a photographic art display that uses black and white photography that has artistic and emotional qualities that are just not possible to achieve in color photography.

Probably the strongest quality that grabs the viewer is its emotional power. Even if the photo is just of an old barn or an antique car, there is an emotional appeal that is difficult to analyze in words but universal to all of us as we look at a black and white image.

Black and white photography invites the viewer to want to know more about the story behind the picture. Despite the lack of color, these colors appeal to the five senses in ways that color can never hope to achieve.

If you haven’t experimented with black and white photography, it’s worth the time to learn how to capture the powerful images this type of photography can make possible.

Along with the creative use of light and framing, black and white photography gives itself well to editing that you can do with your photo imaging software to bring out the emotional center of each shot.

Before long, you may actually find your self-seeing monochrome shots in a color world.

Your awareness of what will make a great moment in this format will become acute and you will be ready to capture those moments spontaneously, which is always the best kind of photography.