Color v. Black and White

Color or black and white? Its a pretty basic question, but at some point during the creation of every photograph, the photographer will have to decide between the two. There are those who strictly shoot one of the two, and for them the decision is clearly easy. But for those of us who shoot between the two, deciding between black and white or color can sometimes leave us in a dilemma. This is a problem for someone as indecisive as me but I manage by keeping two aspects into consideration; the situation and/or technical limitations.

Often times I decide between black and white or color the moment I see the photograph play out in front of me simply based on the situation. What do I want to tell about the situation through my photo, and which of the two would better tell it? I do generally prefer black and white over color. The elegant simplicity and dramatic contrast of opposites appeals to me, especially when I am attempting to illustrate emotion in a photograph. Color's complexity can sometimes become distracting from the emotion of the photograph. Black and white's dramatic contrast of opposites also accentuates emotion and highlights the expressions of the subject.

NPPL San Diego 2006, Photo by Steven Yang

Color has its purpose too, but as Henri Cartier-Bresson says , it should be looked at by "an approach different than that which is appropriate for black and white." Black and white accentuates emotion, color accentuates sensation. There is something about the color of photographs that recreates the feeling of being there. "You can only get that sense in color, you can smell it, you can smell everything in those kodachromes" says Trent Parke, "you can feel it."

David Alan Harvey, GERMANY. Hanover. 1989. Berlin Wall.



I also use color when color is the subject. The inferno colors of a sunset sky, the warm tone of fall leaves, or in the case of the photo below, the colors of the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Fremont Street, Las Vegas. Steven Yang

In the end, these are just rules that I follow, made by me from observations behind a camera. The capabilities of photography are available to be used at the photographer's content, so don't let me define them for you.