I absolutely LOVE creating black and white images.
As a young photographer in the late 90's and early 2000's my greatest influences were Avedon, Penn, Ritts, Haskins. All absolute masters of black and white portrait photography. I loved the way they portrayed their subjects regardless of what they were wearing or ultimately what the "voice" of the images were. Ultimately the goal was to connect the subject with the viewer in a compelling way.
By removing color as a distraction, it forces the viewer to consider other elements in the picture. It's funny how "black and white" is used as a term to signify a simple choice. Either or. Only one way to interpret something. That's such a misnomer when applied to actual photography. Black and white portrait photography invites interpretation and creative thought from the audience.
In a digital world it's so easy to have it both ways. RAW images give us the power to interpret a frame in a nearly infinite number of ways prior to final output. Even with that power I tend to decide ahead of time whether I intend to output in color or black and white. I do tend to light and expose differently when a monochrome image is the end goal, looking for a contrast range rather than accurate and faithful representation of colors.
I truly love showing a subject a finished black and white portrait and having them not say "wow I look so different" but instead say "I've never seen myself like that before." Semantics but the difference in meaning is huge, and one of the biggest reasons I do what I do.
If a dedicated black and white portrait photography session is what you need in your life right now, fill out my contact form or book a consultation call and let's chat about how I can help you see your self in a whole new way.
All images copyright 2024 Nick Johnson - www.nickjohnson.net
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