Victoria Cabrera

02/28/17

Draft #2

Black and White Photography

Some of the most memorable moments in our history as far back into the 1820s, were

documented with photographs. Photography give the human race proof of transformation

through time for our world, and a look at parts of the world, not everyone can explore. From the

start of photography, images were in black and white, leaving viewers question what the absent

colors contained of. Some photographers think black and white photography is very dated, and

that with all this new technology, black and white photography will eventually be abolished, but

I think otherwise. Black and white photography is an important form of art because it forces up

to look at lights and darks instead of color where depth is limited, it also emphasizes emotion

like no other form of photography, and black and white images play an important role in history.

When shooting in black and white photography, light is the most beneficial factor. The

absence of color forces photographers to use light to capture the full composition of the image.

“Black and white allows you to begin to think about these key elements (lighting, composition, elements in and out of the frame) that you might otherwise not focus on as much when you’re thinking about making colors work together, or pop.” (Geffin)

Like Geffin explained, how in black and white photography the lighting and composition are

more focused on without the distraction of the color. In black and white the lights and darks

become the subject. It takes a great photographer to manipulate light in order to get an image

with intensity of lights and darks.

(Luciana, 6)

The image above gives an example of how important light is to the composition of the scene. A

good source of light can capture the most beautiful images and give them infinite depth. In

colored photography, depth and value are limited, the light source can get lost within the color.

“It's a particularly nostalgic form of photography, reminding us of a time when black and white was the only option for photos, before digital cameras, HDR, photo-editing software, and iPhones were around.”

(Paul’s Photo)

When thinking of the history of our technology, black and white photography was the origin of

all photography. Photographs are not appreciated as much today given that, we take pictures

everyday on our cellphones, and they also take up most of our social media platforms. In the

1800s, families would pay a fortune to have their group portraits taken, and today we can take

our family Christmas card photo with a blink of an eye.

“For the generations alive before the digital revolution, black and white photography has an interesting place in our collective consciousness. So many of the most widely

circulated historical images taken by titans of photography have been shot in black and white”. (Murabayshi)

Black and white photography is the origin of photography itself. In this quote,

Murabayshi gives evidence that black and white photography is something we always think

about when it comes to history. Before colored film was invented in the 1930s, people relayed on

black and white images to capture their moments. Even then, colored film was so expensive, that

during the first and second World War, a majority of the images were taken in black and white. It

has truly been an important role in our history, and to see images of life was like 100 years ago,

helps us develop data on the transformation we’ve made, through technology, the economy,

fashion, and lifestyle. It gives us proof that these historical events actually happened, and weren’t

made up and written in a book.

(Freedman, Hine, Cover)

This photograph by Lewis Hine was one of his most famous. He was known for making a

huge difference in the awareness of child labor during the industrial revolution. He photographed

children at work to show people the rural conditions children were being forced to work in.

These black and white photographs are a big part of our history, because of the progress that’s

been made with child laboring and schooling. People got to see and sympathize with these

photographs because it was evidence of children being at work instead of school.

Black and white photography appeals to emotion like no other form of art. The lights and

darks of that reflect on the wrinkles of a face can dramatize any picture. “Looking at someone’s

face, or into their eyes, without the distraction of color can provide a stronger emotional

connection to your subject.” (Geffin)

(Milan)

The article I took this photo from was a collection of photographs of transgender people in New

York. The photograph is a beautiful example of emotion showing through photographs. The

expression on her face says a lot about the situation of the struggles trans-gender’s face,

especially for black trans women. The image being black and white captures the ambiguity of the

subject, forcing us to read the expressions of the subject’s face and posture in the image. “In

contrast, color photography of actual settings overwhelms with its specificity and leaves little

room for distance and thereby for theory” (Sassen). As Sassen explains, color gives everything

away, leaving little to the imagination of the situation, thus emphasizing the raw beauty of black

and white photography.

“Photographs permit us to communicate to the world what we see, and the things we find in our pictures symbolize what we feel…” (Gassan)

Black and white photography is something we have studied since childhood. It is the

foundation of photography and has been in our history books since the 1800s, and have touched

the lives of people around the world. It’s amazing, the power it has, to show life in its raw form,

and how it strips the subject down to the emotion it’s conveying. Black and white photography is

a necessary form of art and is a lost art that deserves much more appreciation that it gets, because

it limits us to using light for the design of the photograph, it captures emotion without the

distraction of color, and it defines the origins of photography.

Works Cited

Luciana, James. Black and White Photography: Manifest Visions: An International Collection.

Gloucester, MA: Quarry, 2000. Print. 

Gassan, Arnold, and A. J. Meek. Exploring Black and White Photography. Madison, WI: Brown &

Benchmark, 1993. Print.

Freedman, Russell. Kids at Work Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor. N.p.: Paw Prints,

2008. Print.

Geffin, David. "Why It's Still Important to Shoot In Black And White." Fstoppers. N.p., 02 Dec.

2014. Web.

Murabayshi, Allen. "Is Black and White Photography a Gimmick?" PetaPixel. N.p., 14 Nov. 2014.

Web.

Mushero, Lara. "Why Choose Black and White Photography?" BLOG - PAUL'S PHOTO & Creative

Photo Academy. N.p., 29 Aug. 2013. Web.

Milan, Tiq. "Striking Photos of Transgender Life in NYC." CNN. Cable News Network, 16 Dec.

2016. Web.