The Art of Black and White Photography

I recently noticed a fun challenge going around on social media in which a black and white photo is taken everyday for seven days. The rules are that no explanation is to be given regarding the subject matter and that no humans should be in the photo. I love this so much because there is something magical about black and white photography that evokes emotion unlike color photography. Granted, it has it's place and the focus and intention of a photograph can be lost when the color is lost as well. However, I've noticed with photos of my own that there are times when the subject matter itself, rather than the colors, is what is truly beautiful.

For instance, I took this photo of a fully bloomed Magnolia in my backyard:

The light is hitting it beautifully and you can see the subtle cream and yellow. However, the feeling of the photo changes completely when the color is removed:

The following is a photo I took while stopped at a gas station in the middle of nowhere on Route 66 in Texas. The colors and the subject matter were both factors in me wanting to take the photo in the first place.

Now, by removing the colors it feels more original to me. I actually love both versions of this photo though because they both evoke different feelings about the subject matter.

There are many photos that I have kept in only the black and white version because, honestly, when I took the original it didn't make sense to me in color. Sometimes it just feels better to have that classic, simplistic view that only monochrome provides. The following are a couple of examples:

This train was just like any train you see rolling up and down the tracks. I took this in the high desert in the Southwest...the original was a bit boring. In black and white though, I can almost imagine a high stakes train robbery about to occur with men on horseback and six shooters on both sides. Maybe that's just my imagination!

This is one of my most favorite photos. It was taken at the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, FL. This fine gentlemen is one of the re-enactment guards and he was coming back from break when I caught him with his guard down, as it were. The miracle of this photo was the timing...normally, there would have been hundreds of tourists hanging about. Catching him alone was perfection. The original photo was in color, however I feel that this version really brings out the spirit of the place itself.

This is Wendy, the wonder hound. While Wendy is undoubtedly gorgeous in color, this photo seems to let her goofy side shine through a little brighter. I like this photo so much because of the textures which are a bit lost in the color version.

I enjoy seeing so many folks who don't consider themselves artistic in any way, showing so much creativity through the black and white photo challenge. I have always found black and white photography so alluring and it is really interesting to see things through the eyes of others.

Thanks for reading!