Beauty of black and white

Black and white photography is powerful. Pick up a book and look at the grainy, high contrast images shot on Kodak Tri-X 400 film by masters like Cartier Bresson, Don McCullen and Sebastião Salgado, they've lost nothing of their impact.

Today's super high resolution, fantastic colour, high dynamic range digital cameras enable faithful, ultra-real reproduction of the world. This way of rendering reality in exquisite detail does not however add emotion, a sense of the moment and gesture to an image.

The gritty black and white images created by the masters abstract reality, distilling it into the essential ingredients that connect with us through the history of photography. They represent a way we have learned to read history. We subconsciously attribute a sense of authenticity to these images.

This is why a photographer like Salgado insists his prints, although shot on the best DSLRs available look like the were photographed on film. He is conscious of his aesthetic voice and the weight of history and authenticity behind that look.

I learned photography using film, developing and printing in the darkroom. Having explored the joys of the highest quality that digital can bring I am now again ready to experiment and embrace the aesthetic of black and white and explore that visual essence that the traditional look of film brings to an image.

Hope you enjoy the latest images.

Have a wonderful New Year.

Paul

www.indigo2photography.co.uk

Comments

The portrait photographer's motivation

Easy access to the Internet and digital photography has resulted in an ever growing number of photographers uploading their images for comments and ratings from peers. Online communities evolve and these mini-societies each have their pecking order, internal groups and communal preferences. Photographers learn from each other. On sites that have a rating system there is often pressure to conform to certain styles, techniques and even subject matter. Although I participate in numerous sites (it's great fun), I recognise the danger of becoming a herd animal and losing the edge of individual creativity. There will always be the creatives that lead the way and the imitators that can only try to follow in their footsteps. This lead me to think about classifying photographers according their inner motivation. So as a bit of fun here are a few different types: The innovator Driven to always find something new, different and creative. Wants to be leading edge. Motivated by creative satisfa...

Beyond the Obvious: Lessons from the Masters of Photography

In photography, there’s more than technical skill or gear; the real art is in connection, storytelling, and moments that matter. In this blog, I’ll explore what I have learned by taking master classes with photographers like Steve McCurry, Joel Meyerowitz, and Albert Watson. One of the surprising outcomes of learning from them was discovering just how closely my thoughts and practice aligned with theirs although I've always carved my own path. There is something delightful about finding kindred spirits. I wanted to share what I've learnt and remind us of our true practice as photographers behind the lens. Storytelling Through Human Connection A photograph should convey more than just skill—it should capture a story that resonates. Steve McCurry’s iconic Afghan Girl does this beautifully, capturing strength and vulnerability in a single frame. Like McCurry, I believe photography should reveal the depth and uniqueness of our subjects. This requires empathy, patience, and a ...

Why do you take photographs?

Have you ever asked yourself why you photograph? It's a question that can be answered with a simple one-sentence answer until you start delving deeper. The answer then becomes increasingly complex and challenging to unravel. I've again undertaken this journey recently, and my answer is below. Portrait of Paul Indigo by Magda Indigo. Thanks Magda! I also reviewed my images over the last ten-plus years, selected 30 of my favourite photos, and compiled them into a slide show. This was a challenging task. My favourites change by the day, probably by the minute. Still, eventually, I got to a selection I titled "That's Life." Please click through to YouTube to view the full screen. My approach to people and landscape photography is characterised by a distinctive blend of documentary and fine art techniques. I aim to create images that are both deeply personal and universally relatable. Through portraiture, I strive to showcase the broad spectrum of human experience. I a...

Beyond the obvious

Search This Blog