The oldest form of photography known to mankind is black and white photography. The first color image was taken in 1861 and even then, the black and white photos had been around for about 35 years. Black and white photography is also termed as MONOCHROMATIC PHOTOGRAPHY but that is considered a fake dilemma now after the advancement in the photography field.
With the new and latest equipment; black and white photography has become edgier than before. In old times images had to be clicked RAW and were mainly unedited but now the times have changed.
Black and white photography is Stark and Timeless. The beauty is that with the aid of a digital platform you can’t determine, if the image is 30 years old or taken 3 hours before. In black and white photography colors are removed via digital process or through a choice of film. The best black and white pictures are taken Raw and further edited to enhance the depth of the image. As the world is undergoing rapid changes in all aspects of life; new software is created to enhance the beauty of black and white photography. LIGHTROOM and PHOTOSHOP are the top-rated software to take or modify black and white pictures.
Definition of black and white photography:
“An image where all color has been removed, either in the digital process or by the choice of photographic film, consisting of only shades of grey tones that go from dark to white.”
Black and white photography requires a lot of practice and discipline to learn. There is not much ground to play to make the image attract the viewer. If not taken properly a black and white image can be considered as post-apocalyptic with no depth.
“Black and white creates a strange dreamscape that color never can” ¬ Jack Antonoff
Advantages of Black and white photography:
- It is one of the most popular technique to capture a timeless picture. Color can eventually fade and date a photograph and in turn draw attention to wrong aspects of the image.
- Black and white photography has a tendency to distant the content material from the reality. The world is full of color but when something in grey hues is seen, one tends to pause and have a look at it; capturing the attention instantly.
- Black and white photography highlights; shape, form and pattern in the image.
- Negative spaces are easier to culminate as the distractions that color brings are removed which makes the subject stand out from the background adding a richer depth to the image composition.
Disadvantages of black and white photography:
- At times, black and white images lack emotions; a human aspect that a colored photograph has in by defect.
- Black and white photography medium is very tricky and not every photographer is skilled enough in taking high quality black and white photographs.
Black and white in architectural photography:
Black and white photography has the ability to change the perception of the subject matter of a photograph. When blended in architectural photography, it enhances a building’s shape, angles and forms in the environment.
It gives new perspective and new aesthetics to the overall medium which can’t be achieved in colors. The angles which are distinctly showcased in black and white photography makes it stand out in front of its color-format competitors.
“To see in color is a delight for the eye but to see in black and white is a delight for the soul” ¬ Andi Caldwell
Black and white photography gives the building the attention and presence it deserves as the distractions of colors is removed which allows the main focus on the real subject and object of the image.
Structures can be viewed at different, unconventional angles when trying to play with the different aspects of light like the direction and intensity. It allows both the photographer and the viewer to see something different every time.
Photos taken in black and white allow the beauty of a building to survive through time. This is because of the classical feel that black and white brings with it. It makes it difficult to tie down a building to one particular era.
Fredrick H Evans, Berenice Abbott, Eric de Mare, Ezra Stoller are a few pioneer photographers in the field of architecture, they are the ones who shaped the black and white photography of what we see today.
In modern times, Andrew Prokos, Helene Binet, Mihai Florea, Kerstin Arnemann is famous for their work and are showered with accolades and acknowledgments all around the world in the form of awards and titles.
Conclusion:
Black and White Photography is deceptively difficult. Although you don’t have as many variables to juggle when you remove color, you’re creating a new challenge instead: taking powerful photos without an important tool at your disposal!
You need to work with light, shadow, and the elements of composition to tell a story and capture the emotions you have in mind. Although that takes practice, it is worth the effort. Some messages are simply meant to be conveyed in monochrome.
Also Read: Best Architecture Design Software for 2021 [Guide]
