Why white and black is a basic choice for street photographers

Black and white are the preferred choice for street photographers for several reasons. In other types of photography, monochrome has a special effect, and street photography is different for several reasons. Why is black and white a favorite choice for street photographers and is there a logical reason to do so?

Black and white was naturally the first choice for photographers due to some technical limitations. The effect was not able to display colors and it took a long time for more street photographers to discover new opportunities to use colors. However, most images that are photographed on the street are used in black and white so far. Modern technology has become more capable of capturing colors in the real world. If necessary, it is possible to edit images to change the color display anywhere you imagine. It is easier to deal with the various additional complications such as white balance, all thanks to digital cameras where the photographer can change those settings in RAW format afterwards. Here are some of the reasons that explain the popularity of black and white between street photographers so far.

SIMULATION ARTISTS

Documentary photography is one of the oldest forms of photography and many street photographers try to replicate classical photographers such as Robert Kappa or Henri Cartier Bresson. Until the late 1970s, the famous photography icons were not changed, but black and white images continued to be taken. There were some exceptions like Joel Mayerwitz or Saul Litter where they were leading their colorful works, but they had to fight too much criticism.The best works are still done using monochrome. For modern-day photographers who are looking for street photography, they are more likely to discover the works of Vivian Mir, Robert Kappa or Bruce Gelden, who shoot exclusively in black and white. Interestingly enough, there are a variety of color images for Vivienne Mir, but most of them are not popular enough, as her monochromatic work overshadowed her colorful work.For personal photojournalists or natural images, there are a number of icons such as Sebastiao Salgado or Helmut Newton, who took impressive black and white photographs. But by going back, we can see that colorful works have dominated the past decades. By contrast, street photographers have not completely transitioned to another style, so novices will most likely experiment with monochrome images first, mimicking photographers who follow them.
 

FOCUS ON THE SUBJECT

Regardless of this historical fact, there are some characteristics that make black and white something useful compared to the alternative color. Photography on the street is one of the most difficult types of photography and needs more speed and requires work within a specific time. Photographers in a studio can take the time they need to take out their pictures very carefully, while street photographers must shoot on the street very quickly.This may be very difficult and does not provide the results expected by street photographers. Often, you feel that you can observe a beautiful scene that really interests you, but you have a problem with things that appear in the background. Colored objects can distract the viewer. To restore the original focus of the image, it is useful to have the image displayed in black and white.This way the content appears and the frame or the cinematic effect becomes less important. Since street photography often tries to show a story or interaction between people, the simple beauty of personal images, for example, can be better in black and white photos, helping to confirm content by eliminating color dispersion.

 

DRAMATIC LIGHT

Beauty is often not considered the only subject in the picture; on the contrary, light is used as a recurring theme. Many of the photographs taken in the street focus on subjects that fall within the spotlight, while there is a part of the scene hidden in the dark.Sometimes it is important for the viewer not to reveal all the details, and that there is room for imagination. This type of picture is highly suitable for black and white colors. An increase in variance may also add a certain addition to this effect. Colors are often very dispersed and can affect ambiguity. In the same context, shadow images can be used as monochrome images. Where the picture becomes narrow, but if worked well, it can encourage the viewer's imagination.

CINEMATIC INFLUENCE

When I started my photography trip, I did not want to invest a lot of money in the camera. As a result, the noise of ISO is very clear, especially in low light conditions. While working on color, it can become very distracted as it reduces the overall quality of the image. In black and white images, noise can be eliminated simply because it resembles the old analog effect. Also you do not need the X100F to get started. RicohGr works even in low light conditions when using film effect.Later, noise was no longer a source of inconvenience due to low camera quality but it became an aesthetic choice. It has become easier to simulate the old Tri-X effect compared to the popular Kodachrome Kodakrum. Color has become affected by many variables that make it nearly impossible to emulate efficiently. This has led to the development of advance effect settings such as the SilverFX package. Even for classical cinematic effect, monochrome has a greater and easier effect on repetition than on its colored alternative.

COLORS MUST MATCH

While light and dark can become separate subjects, the colors also play an important role in color images. Whenever a photographer decides not to use monochrome images, the colors in the image should not be random. Where it must carry meaning and add something to the scene as if the photographer had drawn the scene himself. Otherwise, why should they exist?Colors must match one way or another. Such as if one of the colors is present strongly in the picture, or that the different colors are consistent with each other in a compatible manner. But using color only because of the futility of black and white is not very useful. Where color is very complex, especially in some uncontrollable situations such as street photography. Because of this, black and white are often considered the "easiest" option, which reduces the complexity and difficulty of the picture and remains the preferred choice for street photographers.

IS THE WHITE AND BLACK OPTION IS AN EASY CHOICE?

Black and white images are often used incorrectly, where the color image is badly converted to monochrome images in the hope of giving better results. Black and white make it easy to hide mistakes, but the bad picture remains bad and does not improve when converted to a monochrome image. The image of a bad color lacks depth, which is difficult to overcome just by turning the color.In general, I advise you to think about the style you will choose before taking the picture. All variations and variations are distinct and can not be modified with a simple post-production click. You have to watch the world very differently. With black and white will focus more on light and shadows, while the color image requires you to pay attention to any combination of disturbing colors that can distort the image you are taking. However it is also important to use a large amount of white and black in social media everyday. Getting away from the mess is especially difficult when you have the option to show only gray differences. It is easy to be lost in a modest collection of monochrome images. So you should develop the style of images that distinguishes you from the rest.In either case, install a certain pattern for an acceptable number of images and do not switch permanently. Black and white may always be classic colors, but for street color you can make your own unique style. 

 By: Sarah Shahid