11:eleven Photography

To each their own. I know there are some who love black and white, some who prefer to capture the colors as they are, and some who like to over saturate and make the exaggerated colors the focus of their work. There’s a time and place for everything, personal preference and whatnot. I prefer black and white because in my opinion it is a cleaner, clearer, more “honest” image.

And that’s not to say that color images are a lie, colors are real obviously, I see them, you see them, most people see them. Several species of animals see more than we do, but to me they can be a distraction from the image and the subject.

And there are times when color plays an important role in setting the mood or tone for an image I’m sure. But I feel the absence of bright flashy colors allows the viewer to see a little deeper, focus on the small details that sometimes get lost in all the colors. I feel the shadows and the highlights play a much bigger role in telling the story or setting the mood.

Look at the image above. I love the delicate design of the marigold, but if it was in color, I feel the image would be more about the bright orange of the flowers in contrast with the buildings which was not my goal or intent. I want to keep the focus of the image on the flower itself and beautiful design of it, the structure of the flower.

What’s your opinion on black and white vs. color? Why?