Seeing the World in Black and White: A Photographer's ...

Seeing the World in Black and White: A Photographer’s Perspective

Vassilis Korkas

Farnham, 24 April 2017

Vassilis Korkas Photographyvkphotos.co.uk

View from Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee during the Civil War, 1864Image credit: nashville.about.com

Colourised image credit: Sanna Dullaway


Image credit: Danna Keller

Image credit: Napoleon Sarony

Image credit: zuzahin

Image credit: Unknown

Image credit: BenAfleckIsAnOkActor

Image credit: Unknown

Nikola Tesla1893

Mark Twain

ca. 1900

Charlie Chaplin

1916

Overview• A very brief history of B&W photography• What the masters say• Why is B&W photography still appealing?• When to shoot (and how to think) in B&W

• Examples of a B&W workflow• Things to try out

• Your questions


A brief history of B&W photography • The photographic process became known in 1839

in France (Daguerreotype, after Louis Daguerre)• John Herschel coined the term photography, also

in 1839• Photography soon became a documentary process

(American Civil War, Life magazine, child labour in American factories in the early 20th century)

• Early signs of specialisation (e.g. Robert Capa, Diane Arbus, Ansel Adams, etc.)


The B&W masters I

“We have all fallen in love with the beauty and power of black and white photography where everything is stripped down to the core; light, textures, contrast, tonality, mood and raw emotion.”

Deanne Fitzmaurice


Ansel Adams - The Tetons and the Snake River (1942)

The B&W masters II

“I think there is a certain nostalgia to it that people long for as we’re bombarded with colour and chaos every day in our lives. Something about it just mellows me out and gives me a different experience when reading a photo. Anything that gives the viewer that experience will always be popular.”

Chip Litherland


Henri Cartier-Bresson - France. Paris. Place de l'Europe. Gare Saint Lazare. (1932)

The B&W masters III

“There is definitely something elemental in [black and white] which eliminates so many of the potential distractions (and wonders, alike) that colour is all about. [Black and white] can reduce a scene to something more easily and quickly absorbed. It retains a kind of purity which we respond to without so much study.”

David Burnett


Richard Avedon - Ronald Fischer, beekeper (1981)

The B&W masters IV

“Of course, black and white is an abstraction, but from the brightest white to the darkest black what you have is greys, and these greys are what I had in my mind when I took the picture[s].”

Sebastião Salgado


Sebastião Salgado - Fireball, Greater Burhan oil field (1991)

Why is B&W photography still appealing?


Nimit Nigam - Night Contrast (2014)

• The distraction of colour

• Appreciation of light

• Emphasis on emotion

• The timeless quality of B&W

• Negative space

• Forms, shapes and patterns

• Focus on composition

When to shoot (and how to think) in B&W


Bahadir Bermek - Need some rest (2011)

• Shooting subjects with strong graphic elements

• Highlighting textures and high-contrast situations (light vs shadows)

• Neutralising non-complimentary colours• Skin tones in challenging lighting conditions

A B&W image is a creative choice, not a necessity. Ask ‘why’, not ‘when’!

Personal experience: B&W workflow


The ghosts of West Bay



In the distance

Honourable mention in the Fine Art: Landscape class of the International Photography Awards 2015









Rock sea, cotton sky

Honourable mention in the Fine Art: Landscape class of the International Photography Awards 2015





Ancient memories





Look of disapproval



The face of an angel





Peeling off the past



Lines

Things to try out• Take up a B&W challenge• Design a pre-/post-production B&W project• Revisit the work of the masters for inspiration• Keep a mental checklist (and put composition at

the top!)


Thank you for your attention!

Any questions?

Vassilis [email protected]


Seeing the World in Black and White: A Photographer's ...

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