I have referred in other posts this week to the fact that I am being asked to develop my imagery with a possible move from black and white. I have written previously about the reasons for my choice of monochrome – nobody questioned Don McCullin’s motivation for using black and white images to showcase the Somerset Levels!
So, back to the process of reduction which has been described as a meditative practice and as such I am abstracting from the complexities of the realities I confront – the essence of my experience. Peeling away the layers of the onion is an example of the application of Ockham’s Razor – slicing away the elements of my visual perception that are not relevant to the core of my experience – in that context colour for me is an intrusion. As I withdraw deeper into my inner most experience colour fades from awareness.
It is said we dream in black and white and that reflects the fact that in my professional practice of photography, of necessity, I survived the experience by withdrawing my conscious awareness from what I was seeing.
Alison Price
My name is Alison Price and for the past ten years I have travelled the world photographing wildlife, including Alaska, Antarctica, Borneo, Botswana, the Canadian Arctic, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
An intriguing analysis of your motivation and the process. I think part of the answer to your mono/colour debate is in the scene itself and the mood you desire to convey.
“To see in colour is a delight to the eye, but to see in Black and White is a delight for the soul”Andri Hery
Best Wishes,Peter Phillips,Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S9+
Totally agree and thanks so much for the quote which I will use in a future blog!
Hi Alison
This trend towards dismissing B&W as a medium seems to be spreading. I started reading a book on lighting, which I gave away to a charity shop when, on Page 21, the author declared the only reason for shooting in B&W is if you can’t afford colour film or a digital camera.
So, don’t be deterred from your creative spirit. Anyone who claims B&W is an irrelevant medium simply doesn’t understand art, composition or the basics of photographic design which, by definition, means they probably aren’t worth listening to at all. Your explanation of why you use B&W is more than valid – it shows you have a deep understanding of photography as a visual art form.
If you need some back-up (which you don’t), as well as Don McCullin, you have Sebastiao Salgado and Ansel Adams. In the art world, some of the greatest painters, including Cezanne and Monet, worked in monochrome and B&W voraciously. And, in Hollywood, who can forget the haunting use of B&W by Steven Spielberg in the film Schindler’s List?
Any critic (or lecturer) who dismisses B&W as a photographic medium lacks credibility. Listen to your soul and let your better angels drown the critics out.
Good luck as you move along with your project!
Chris
Dear Chris,
Thank you for such an inspiring comment. Have already played the Salgado and Adams card but that didn’t go down well.
Alison
This course is for your inspiration and satisfaction. How you choose to achieve your personal objectives must be your decision and to be pressurised to alter course at the behest of others who seem to be lacking in an appreciation of the monochrome art form is a distraction and confusing.
I agree. Maybe I am not being clear about my objectives and story so I will seek to clarify that over the next few weeks on my blog!