Black + White - A Conscious Decision

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about when to implement black + white into my images. The longer I edit, the more of a loose “philosophy” I’ve begun to develop around when to abandon the color in favor of the classic, simple look black + white offers. As a photographer, I LOVE bright, vibrant colors, and that will ALWAYS be my Plan A. But here are a few instances when I might decide to go with black + white:

• White Balance •

Sometimes, whether it’s due to the lighting, the other colors in the image, or a combination of both, the white balance just isn’t happening. No matter what I try, there’s an unflattering cast on the skin or the colors are too “busy” and running into each other, taking away from the CONTENT of the photo. When I start to find this happening, I switch over to black + white to see if this makes a difference. Usually it’s night and day!

• Emotion •

When there is a lot of strong emotion happening in an image, I find that black + white really accentuates the feeling. Some instances where I find this to be the case are in audience reactions, tightly-cropped intimate moments, or candid interactions.

• Details •

I could go either way with this one, but often I find that taking color out of the equation helps to bring out the tiny details in shots without humans. Sometimes color will be a primary feature, like with flower arrangements, but other times making an image black + white will help to bring out important, dramatic features like shadows, reflections, or the sparkle of a diamond ring.

Whatever the case may be, I really try to make choosing to deliver an image in black + white a CONSCIOUS decision!