I really, really love colour photography done well. As you said, theres a transportative quality to it. You'll be able to smell an autumn forest or feel the sting of winter air on your face with a great colour photo. I'm really interested in hearing what other people's philosophy is regarding black and white. I really want BW to have a place in my life still
To me it's striping things down to the basics. Getting emotion with just the light and dark. It has a timeless quality to it. Not every picture warrants b and w but the same with color. That's how I see it.
Your children are going to have the greatest collection of photos of their childhood to look back on once theyre all grown up, and I think thats incredibly special and a bit magic. Colour or BW, I love your work man
Yes, A Question of Color, thanks for covering a great topic. Like some people I usually have a camera loaded with B&W and one with color. I have to make a decision when leaving for the day, as most of the time I don’t like to carry two cameras, even if they are small Leica M’s. I’ll definitely check out this book, thanks 😊
This video is very timely for me. I’ve literally become a B&W photographer for the past few years and recently pared back my kit to a monochrome camera only. But it’s limiting as well. I’ve taken to “painting” my images in PS which allows me to make the world any color I want. But now I’m adding a color camera back into the mix. Your thoughts are very helpful. I’m not a fan of asking whether an image looks better in color or B&W. I want the image to be taken with intention as you say. Thx!
When you photo people in color, you capture their clothes. When you photo people in black and white, you capture their soul. B&w trains you to see contrast, shadow. I have used it for years to concentrate on seeing how the shadow falls across faces. etc. But sometime color makes or is the subject of the image. I carry backs with both b&w and color or 2 35 mm bodies.
I started with color film as a teenager, photographing my sister's wedding... With a little yashica mg1. Later started experimenting with black and white film. I can't really say which one I love best... Both have their place in my heart... So I would say, don't use only color or only black and white. Go for both... Choose wisely where to use one or the other... Both are just as wonderful...
I prefer color photography, personally. Because when we see black and white photos, we think of those as being from the past because that used to be the dominant form of photography for so many years. Because of that, there's a certain disconnect between B+W photos and people who grew up with color photography as the default. I use color because then I know that even after many years pass, I can be confident that people will feel a more instinctive connection to what's in the picture, because that's much closer to how their eyes really see it.
This is a good one. When shooting film I struggle, I like to carry only one camera so I am focused more on the moment. Obviously with digital I can turn it black and white in post. But I feel like there are only certain images that work in black and white. I am NOT the photographer that duplicates all the images and gives my clients the same photos one in color and one black and white. I am very intentional about which images make the black and white cut.
I mostly shoot wildlife, and because color is such an important part of animal and plant life, habitat, safety, mating, identification, etc., I am always looking for the color in the shot. It is part of the way that the natural world is communicating through my lens. That said, I shoot digital, so when, on occasion, I’m doing street photography or architectural photos, or certain art/pattern projects, I sometimes convert those shots to b&w. It’s pretty rare though. Just ordered the book you recommended. It looks very interesting. Thanks!
Good question! I had to work it out for myself. I used to have my darkroom around 30 years ago, all black and white. Black and white adds abstraction, color emotion. Color can connect more direct and deeper. Digital hit me really hard in this regard, color equaled chaos for a very long time. The color work that you show is spectacular! Thanks for the video!
I literally just picked this book up on a road trip where I had primarily b&w with me. Really made me second guess my decision 😅 The question of color is something I think about a lot too and I really admire photographers who fully commit to b&w but at the end of the day I think I’ll always shoot both, I just love both for different reasons.
What a great observation of the difference between the impact of a B&W and color photo! I'm much the same, leaning heavily to B&W: light, shade, composition first, and then maybe looking at the color too, lol. Really nice video, Matt!
Hi! I also see in black and white and this is my favorite photo. Color is an additional factor when building a composition. I discovered a very simple way to understand color. I started adding one color to black and white, then another, then a third. At the same time, everything else in the frame was black and white. Just choose places where the walls of the houses are neutral gray. This way you can choose the colors you like. If you look at famous photographers, they always have a primary color. You have a black and white wall behind you, and individual colors are visible on it. I noticed yellow, orange, and purple. black and white highlights them.
Very interesting topic, I've been enjoying looking at my B&W Jpgs from my M11 and love being able to compare both color and B&W side by side when I come home. Not just when designing you really want to take away the thing that is really not benefiting the end piece (product).
For sure, each is a tool for the right job. We are more drawn to color because of our eyes, but our minds are curious of B&W to calm the scene with less distractions. B&W is a timeless moment and color is in a particular moment. Very therapeutic. I love photography ❤
I personally shoot colour by default in digital. And every once in a while I will convert the digital image to B&W after the fact because I think it will work better for that particular shot. On those rare occasions where I shoot film it's pretty much exclusively B&W because I occasionally like to rent a dark room in my area for some printing just for fun.
Colour is harder to shoot. You have to be significantly more advanced as a pre-visualiser and composer to make it work. The amount of colour images that don't do anything with the colour and even photographers who don't know how to use white balance is incredible. The simplest way to use it is as a focus point, but there's a way to shoot it in contrast too, much like black and white. I find shooting overcast days with flat light is great time to practice. Blue hour too. I'm not good at it yet, but it's a process of awakening that awareness that's necessary.
Ive just purchased th book. It is has always been a question for me!! It'll be good to see a comparison 🙂 I haven't said this before...... But I'm So happy both you and Molly sorted things out Matt 🙂
After 20+ years of digital, I find myself drawn back to film photography. My first 30 years of photography was, of course, film only. The door to film opened again for me when I purchased my Polaroid I-2 in December last year. Total impulse purchase. Now, I’m waiting for my MF camera (Mamiya 6) to arrive from Japan tomorrow! And yes color or B&W is a big question. I see myself continuing to shoot primarily B&W (us old dogs, you know 😉), but I find the Polaroid has opened that color door a bit. It’s intriguing to be sure. Photography, to me, is like a huge, sprawling mansion. In the single dwelling are many many rooms, each representing a style/approach/genre/philosophy/etc that falls under the genus of “photography.” Opening those doors, whether to just look or to actively participate, keeps one stimulated.
I tend to shoot colour when people ask me for family photos and for travelling, but the rest of my work is black and white , I grew up in the darkroom its just my comfort zone and I like the piece it brings me when I shoot in black and white although these days it's all digital
Thank you, sir, for your insights. I'm in sync with your philosophy re B&W vs color. My film shooting, however, is B&W only because I can easily develop it at home. Not ready to try color processing. Too expensive for me to send color film to Darkroom, so my color work is done either on my Sony a6000 or my iPhone 13 Pro with the Fjorden grip. So, it's a mixed bag, but it works for me. Cheers!
Jeez... How much I've missed your wonderful "Document your life" work... No matter how many photography projects you'll ever do (hopefully a lot), this is your masterpiece ❤
Wonderful book on colour photography! Colour or b/w is a creative choice. Like format size or focal length is a creative choice in photography. Like pencil or watercolour is a creative choice for a graphic artist. However it's always good to challenge yourself creatively and to step out of your comfort zone. By the way, we are yet to see "my favourite books of 2023" video from you, Matt 😉 Greetings from cold Canada! 🇨🇦🇺🇦
Every time I shoot b&w I feel like it's a cheat code - the play of light and shadow alone makes everything look fresh and good. But I never stick with it, I miss color within minutes. I'd hate having to focus on b&w for an extended time. At the same time, looking at other's work, b&w really doesn't excite me like color does. In the end, color is how I see, it's so much more fun to shoot and look at for myself.
Black and white is cheaper! Lol, since getting back into photography i have decided there is no point in trying to just get a good picture because i can do that easy with digital. I figure if i am shooting film i should be trying to use it for things that make film different than digital, so i like grain and stuff, so much so i am mostly focused on half frame. Right now i have found i enjoy color in my pinhole camera more than black and white though, but i hate scanning color film! For my regular cameras though i just shoot black and white, i just love being able to develope it myself too. I could see taking a few color rolls on vacation as well, but that's mostly because color works better (to me) for not very thought out or compossed snapshots.
I usually carry two cameras. I'll usually shoot with one over the other depending on mood but it's nice to not have to pass on a shot just because you have the wrong film loaded. Do you look for a pleasing color and then shoot whatever shape it is or are you more into shapes that have a pleasing color?
I feel like, a lot of the time, the choice between color and b&w is instinctive to the photographer. The way your gut tells you to shoot a roll of hp5 in the back yard with your family or load up a roll of portra 400 for a sunset drive. The content and the intention bring about a gut feeling.
Pretty presentation, Thanks a lot! Grown up in the 1950s, everything around me was monochrome: mostly print, TV, and photography anyway. In the middle of the 1960s, everything suddenly became colorful. In the early 1970s, I started becoming a pro photographer - and since then I have stuck to the alternative of mono or color. Color slides achieve the best color impression and quality without any manipulation. Colornegative or color in digital photography are useful for any manipulation of the colors on the computer, and for me, monochrome is the best choice to emphasize pure design with light & shadow, lines & structures. The four seasons without color? There's missing the essential. @philosimot
An Industrial Designer friend of mine often says that people have a strong response to weight and temperature... and often quotes the "heavy = expensive" scene from Jurassic park. Idk why I decided to write this, but I'm going to stop here. A note on color, and the richness being a correlation with color.... Idk we're all humans, right?
Color or B&W…your family photos are always so compelling and engaging. Your love for your family clearly shows in your photos.
I really, really love colour photography done well. As you said, theres a transportative quality to it. You'll be able to smell an autumn forest or feel the sting of winter air on your face with a great colour photo. I'm really interested in hearing what other people's philosophy is regarding black and white. I really want BW to have a place in my life still
To me it's striping things down to the basics. Getting emotion with just the light and dark. It has a timeless quality to it. Not every picture warrants b and w but the same with color. That's how I see it.
Your children are going to have the greatest collection of photos of their childhood to look back on once theyre all grown up, and I think thats incredibly special and a bit magic. Colour or BW, I love your work man
Great images. Interesting take on this subject.
Solid way you put this into words! Thanks for the video Matt
Very fundamental questions
Beautiful opening sequence
Yes, A Question of Color, thanks for covering a great topic. Like some people I usually have a camera loaded with B&W and one with color. I have to make a decision when leaving for the day, as most of the time I don’t like to carry two cameras, even if they are small Leica M’s. I’ll definitely check out this book, thanks 😊
This video is very timely for me. I’ve literally become a B&W photographer for the past few years and recently pared back my kit to a monochrome camera only. But it’s limiting as well. I’ve taken to “painting” my images in PS which allows me to make the world any color I want. But now I’m adding a color camera back into the mix. Your thoughts are very helpful. I’m not a fan of asking whether an image looks better in color or B&W. I want the image to be taken with intention as you say. Thx!
Beautiful pictures of your family
I loved that book. Wonderful read and loved the visual comparisons.
Plus with plugins of color grading to choose in post makes you really think about color and what you’re trying to say photographically.
When you photo people in color, you capture their clothes. When you photo people in black and white, you capture their soul. B&w trains you to see contrast, shadow. I have used it for years to concentrate on seeing how the shadow falls across faces. etc. But sometime color makes or is the subject of the image. I carry backs with both b&w and color or 2 35 mm bodies.
I started with color film as a teenager, photographing my sister's wedding... With a little yashica mg1. Later started experimenting with black and white film. I can't really say which one I love best... Both have their place in my heart... So I would say, don't use only color or only black and white. Go for both... Choose wisely where to use one or the other... Both are just as wonderful...
I prefer color photography, personally. Because when we see black and white photos, we think of those as being from the past because that used to be the dominant form of photography for so many years. Because of that, there's a certain disconnect between B+W photos and people who grew up with color photography as the default. I use color because then I know that even after many years pass, I can be confident that people will feel a more instinctive connection to what's in the picture, because that's much closer to how their eyes really see it.
This is a good one. When shooting film I struggle, I like to carry only one camera so I am focused more on the moment. Obviously with digital I can turn it black and white in post. But I feel like there are only certain images that work in black and white. I am NOT the photographer that duplicates all the images and gives my clients the same photos one in color and one black and white. I am very intentional about which images make the black and white cut.
Best colour photography book IMVHO is Raymond Depardon’s book Glasgow. An amazing example of colour done well.
I mostly shoot wildlife, and because color is such an important part of animal and plant life, habitat, safety, mating, identification, etc., I am always looking for the color in the shot. It is part of the way that the natural world is communicating through my lens.
That said, I shoot digital, so when, on occasion, I’m doing street photography or architectural photos, or certain art/pattern projects, I sometimes convert those shots to b&w. It’s pretty rare though.
Just ordered the book you recommended. It looks very interesting. Thanks!
Good question! I had to work it out for myself. I used to have my darkroom around 30 years ago, all black and white. Black and white adds abstraction, color emotion. Color can connect more direct and deeper. Digital hit me really hard in this regard, color equaled chaos for a very long time. The color work that you show is spectacular! Thanks for the video!
I literally just picked this book up on a road trip where I had primarily b&w with me. Really made me second guess my decision 😅 The question of color is something I think about a lot too and I really admire photographers who fully commit to b&w but at the end of the day I think I’ll always shoot both, I just love both for different reasons.
What a great observation of the difference between the impact of a B&W and color photo! I'm much the same, leaning heavily to B&W: light, shade, composition first, and then maybe looking at the color too, lol. Really nice video, Matt!
Hi! I also see in black and white and this is my favorite photo. Color is an additional factor when building a composition. I discovered a very simple way to understand color. I started adding one color to black and white, then another, then a third. At the same time, everything else in the frame was black and white. Just choose places where the walls of the houses are neutral gray. This way you can choose the colors you like. If you look at famous photographers, they always have a primary color. You have a black and white wall behind you, and individual colors are visible on it. I noticed yellow, orange, and purple. black and white highlights them.
Very interesting topic, I've been enjoying looking at my B&W Jpgs from my M11 and love being able to compare both color and B&W side by side when I come home. Not just when designing you really want to take away the thing that is really not benefiting the end piece (product).
For sure, each is a tool for the right job. We are more drawn to color because of our eyes, but our minds are curious of B&W to calm the scene with less distractions. B&W is a timeless moment and color is in a particular moment. Very therapeutic. I love photography ❤
I personally shoot colour by default in digital. And every once in a while I will convert the digital image to B&W after the fact because I think it will work better for that particular shot.
On those rare occasions where I shoot film it's pretty much exclusively B&W because I occasionally like to rent a dark room in my area for some printing just for fun.
i just got that book 8 days ago. great read and even greater photography.
Colour is harder to shoot. You have to be significantly more advanced as a pre-visualiser and composer to make it work. The amount of colour images that don't do anything with the colour and even photographers who don't know how to use white balance is incredible. The simplest way to use it is as a focus point, but there's a way to shoot it in contrast too, much like black and white. I find shooting overcast days with flat light is great time to practice. Blue hour too. I'm not good at it yet, but it's a process of awakening that awareness that's necessary.
Ordered book per your endorsement, Thanks Matt!
Ive just purchased th book. It is has always been a question for me!! It'll be good to see a comparison 🙂
I haven't said this before...... But I'm So happy both you and Molly sorted things out Matt 🙂
Dude! You put my thoughts into words.. thanks!
After 20+ years of digital, I find myself drawn back to film photography. My first 30 years of photography was, of course, film only. The door to film opened again for me when I purchased my Polaroid I-2 in December last year. Total impulse purchase. Now, I’m waiting for my MF camera (Mamiya 6) to arrive from Japan tomorrow!
And yes color or B&W is a big question. I see myself continuing to shoot primarily B&W (us old dogs, you know 😉), but I find the Polaroid has opened that color door a bit. It’s intriguing to be sure.
Photography, to me, is like a huge, sprawling mansion. In the single dwelling are many many rooms, each representing a style/approach/genre/philosophy/etc that falls under the genus of “photography.” Opening those doors, whether to just look or to actively participate, keeps one stimulated.
I tend to shoot colour when people ask me for family photos and for travelling, but the rest of my work is black and white , I grew up in the darkroom its just my comfort zone and I like the piece it brings me when I shoot in black and white although these days it's all digital
Thank you, sir, for your insights. I'm in sync with your philosophy re B&W vs color. My film shooting, however, is B&W only because I can easily develop it at home. Not ready to try color processing. Too expensive for me to send color film to Darkroom, so my color work is done either on my Sony a6000 or my iPhone 13 Pro with the Fjorden grip. So, it's a mixed bag, but it works for me. Cheers!
Great video! May I ask what song it is in the beginning and in the background?
Jeez... How much I've missed your wonderful "Document your life" work... No matter how many photography projects you'll ever do (hopefully a lot), this is your masterpiece ❤
Black and White nerd myself... great video!
Wonderful book on colour photography! Colour or b/w is a creative choice. Like format size or focal length is a creative choice in photography. Like pencil or watercolour is a creative choice for a graphic artist. However it's always good to challenge yourself creatively and to step out of your comfort zone. By the way, we are yet to see "my favourite books of 2023" video from you, Matt 😉 Greetings from cold Canada! 🇨🇦🇺🇦
I've long thought that b&w is the better choice for just about all photographs; that is, unless the main subject of the image is color itself.
Every time I shoot b&w I feel like it's a cheat code - the play of light and shadow alone makes everything look fresh and good. But I never stick with it, I miss color within minutes. I'd hate having to focus on b&w for an extended time.
At the same time, looking at other's work, b&w really doesn't excite me like color does. In the end, color is how I see, it's so much more fun to shoot and look at for myself.
Black and white is cheaper! Lol, since getting back into photography i have decided there is no point in trying to just get a good picture because i can do that easy with digital. I figure if i am shooting film i should be trying to use it for things that make film different than digital, so i like grain and stuff, so much so i am mostly focused on half frame. Right now i have found i enjoy color in my pinhole camera more than black and white though, but i hate scanning color film! For my regular cameras though i just shoot black and white, i just love being able to develope it myself too. I could see taking a few color rolls on vacation as well, but that's mostly because color works better (to me) for not very thought out or compossed snapshots.
I usually carry two cameras. I'll usually shoot with one over the other depending on mood but it's nice to not have to pass on a shot just because you have the wrong film loaded. Do you look for a pleasing color and then shoot whatever shape it is or are you more into shapes that have a pleasing color?
I feel like, a lot of the time, the choice between color and b&w is instinctive to the photographer. The way your gut tells you to shoot a roll of hp5 in the back yard with your family or load up a roll of portra 400 for a sunset drive. The content and the intention bring about a gut feeling.
Pretty presentation, Thanks a lot! Grown up in the 1950s, everything around me was monochrome: mostly print, TV, and photography anyway. In the middle of the 1960s, everything suddenly became colorful. In the early 1970s, I started becoming a pro photographer - and since then I have stuck to the alternative of mono or color. Color slides achieve the best color impression and quality without any manipulation. Colornegative or color in digital photography are useful for any manipulation of the colors on the computer, and for me, monochrome is the best choice to emphasize pure design with light & shadow, lines & structures. The four seasons without color? There's missing the essential. @philosimot
How do you find and know these great photographers?
Great !
About two weeks ago, I started carrying a dedicated camera for color. Before this, I only shot black-and-white.
Very nice
I love color but my personal preference is black and white there is something about it that I can't explain
Did you just talk me into a second film body??
I'm sorry - what was your question again?
An Industrial Designer friend of mine often says that people have a strong response to weight and temperature... and often quotes the "heavy = expensive" scene from Jurassic park. Idk why I decided to write this, but I'm going to stop here. A note on color, and the richness being a correlation with color.... Idk we're all humans, right?