What is so special about black and white photography?

For me the appeal of a well done black and white image is the simplicity. The eye is allowed to concentrate on form and texture without the distraction of color and hue. Some people are amazed by the wide range of shades of gray that can be found lurking between darkest black and brightest white. It can be stunning.

A couple years ago I was asked to photograph a house that had been the dwelling place of a Connecticut family for many generations. The framed black and white photo was to be a gift and when I delivered it the customer was very pleased. “I never knew there were so many kinds of gray!” she told me.

At the dawn of the history of photography there was no color process but people were impressed enough with the magical images produced on tin or glass plates even though they were monotone. In the sepia process instead of shades of gray, various shades of brown created the images.

As science progressed and color film gained in popularity some people began to perceive black and white photography as inferior or outdated. However, among the true art lovers, that perception did not take hold.

Even in the year 2010 when there all sorts of advanced photo techniques, some photographers still concentrate on black and white photography. Great photographers have always known that a photo does not have to dazzle the viewer with bright colors if the techniques of composition of lighting are properly applied. The landscape photos of Ansel Adams and the still life pepper plants of Edward Weston are proof enough.

The three images that I posted with this entry are some of the images that I created for my own enjoyment. Starting with just a simple item like a chain, a gear or a cluster of ferns, I was able to shoot a few frames with my camera and afterward refine the image into the stark and simple hues of gray which convey the essence of scene.