Over the years, I've flirted with the idea of switching to shooting exclusively in black and white. In the modern world, of course, that really means capturing color images and converting them afterward. (Sure, there are digital cameras with monochrome sensors, but that's not what most of us are using.)
The point is that I've often found myself thinking, "Why not just commit to black and white?" I love it that much. I've always gravitated toward the idea and the aesthetic, and some of my favorite work I've ever created has been monochrome. If my fans are any indication, my b&w work has also connected with people in a meaningful way over the years.
But every time I seriously entertain the idea, I arrive at the same conclusion: I can't do it.
I love black and white deeply, but color is simply too much fun. I'm not even sure I can say one is more important to me than the other, because they're doing completely different things. When color comes together just right, when the wardrobe, location, environment, furniture, makeup, hair, skin tones, and lighting all work together, there's something cathartically rewarding about it. Then you get to color grade the image, whether subtly or with melodrama, and bring everything together into a cohesive final piece. That process scratches an itch in my brain that black and white never quite reaches.
Of course, the opposite is also true.
Black and white has its own, I dunno, language as much as color is. Its own personality. It strips away one layer of information and somehow creates entirely new opportunities. It's funny that every 6-8 months I catch myself wondering if I should just become a black and white photographer, because I already know the answer. I never could. Color is too badass to abandon.
I mean, color can be frustrating. When it isn't working, it really isn't working. But when I capture beautiful color and the final grade pulls everything together exactly the way I imagined, that's a feeling I have no interest in giving up.
So color or black and white?
Honestly, I'm right down the middle. 50/50. I can't imagine giving either one up, and I don't think I ever will.
That said, intentionally creating for black and white is a unique joy. It changes the way you think. We experience the world in color every day, so working toward a monochrome image feels almost like stepping into another realm. It's more than simply removing saturation. It's learning to see differently.
There are endless creative opportunities in black and white, especially in Photoshop.
Then again, there are endless creative opportunities in color, also in Photoshop.
I just enjoy visual art way too damn much.