Seeing the World in Black and White: A Photographer’s Perspective Vassilis Korkas Farnham, 24 April 2017 View from Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee during the Civil War, 1864 Image credit: nashville.about.com Colourised image credit: Sanna Dullaway Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk Nikola Mark Charlie Image credit: Danna Keller Image credit: zuzahin Image credit: BenAfleckIsAnOkActor Tesla Twain Chaplin 1893 ca. 1900 1916 Image credit: Napoleon Sarony Image credit: Unknown Image credit: Unknown Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk 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 Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk 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.) Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk 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) Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk 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) Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk 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) Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk 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) Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk Why is B&W photography still appealing? • 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 Nimit Nigam - Night Contrast (2014) Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk When to shoot (and how to think) in B&W • 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’! Bahadir Bermek - Need some rest (2011) Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk Personal experience: B&W workflow The ghosts of West Bay Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk Personal experience: B&W workflow In the distance Honourable mention in the Fine Art: Landscape class of the International Photography Awards 2015 Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk Personal experience: B&W workflow Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk Personal experience: B&W workflow Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk Personal experience: B&W workflow Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk Personal experience: B&W workflow Rock sea, cotton sky Honourable mention in the Fine Art: Landscape class of the International Photography Awards 2015 Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk Personal experience: B&W workflow Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk Personal experience: B&W workflow Ancient memories Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk Personal experience: B&W workflow Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk Personal experience: B&W workflow Look of disapproval Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk Personal experience: B&W workflow The face of an angel Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk Personal experience: B&W workflow Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk Personal experience: B&W workflow Peeling off the past Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk Personal experience: B&W workflow Lines Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk 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!) Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk Thank you for your attention! Any questions? Vassilis Korkas [email protected] Vassilis Korkas Photography vkphotos.co.uk.