Cabrera

Victoria Cabrera

Christina Giarrusso

ENC 1101

9 March 2017

Why Care About Black and White Photography?

Some of the most memorable moments in our history as far back into the 1820s, were

documented with photographs. From photographs of historic families, to the Women’s Suffrage

Movement, to the Holocaust, photography has given the human race proof of transformation

through time, whether referencing human rights, technology, or even the climate. Photography

gives us a look at parts of the world, not everyone can explore. From the start of photography,

images were in black and white, leaving viewers question what the absent colors contained of.

Some photographers think black and white photography is very dated, and that with all this new

technology, black and white photography will eventually be eradicated, but I think otherwise.

Black and white photography is an important form of art because it forces us to look at lights and

darks instead of color where depth is limited, it also emphasizes emotion like no other form of

photography, and black and white images play an important role in history.

Black and white photography today brings us back to a simpler time. Early photographers

didn’t have to worry about the composition of color, or balancing the tone of the image because

they were all monochromatic. When shooting in black and white, light is the most beneficial and

necessary factor for great photographs. The absence of color forces photographers to use light to

capture the full composition of the image, without having to worry about balancing colors.

1

Cabrera

“Black and white allows you to begin to think about these key elements (lighting,

composition, elements in and out of the frame) that you might otherwise not focus on as

much when you’re thinking about making colors work together, or pop.”

(Geffin)

Like Geffin explained, how in black and white photography the lighting and composition are

more focused on without the distraction of the color. In black and white photography the lights

and darks become the subject. It takes a great photographer to manipulate light in order to get an

image with intensity of lights and darks, because otherwise they would be mostly gray.

(Luciana, 6)

The image by Eric Lindbloom above gives an example of how important light is to the

composition of the scene. Without the ray of sunlight that is captured through this alley in Italy,

we wouldn’t be able to see the bicycle, which is the objective of the photo. We wouldn’t be able

to see the texture of the stone pavements, or the shadow of the wire awning that is hidden within

2

Cabrera

the darkest part of the image, but is expressed through the light source. A good source of light

can capture the most beautiful images and give them infinite depth. In colored photography,

depth and value are limited, the light source can get lost within the color.

“It's a particularly nostalgic form of photography, reminding us of a time when black and

white was the only option for photos, before digital cameras, HDR, photo-editing

software, and iPhones were around.”

(Paul’s Photo)

When thinking of the history of our technology, black and white photography was the

origin of all photography. In 1827, Joseph Nicephore Niepce took the first photographic image

with a camera obscura, that let light create the image (Bellis). A camera obscura is a box with a

small hole that lets light rays create the image into a dark setting and were the first “cameras” of

our time. The quote I took from Paul’s Photo talks about how we are nostalgic towards black and

white photos given that photographs are not appreciated as much today. We take pictures

everyday on our cellphones, and take up most of our social media platforms. Even the

development of the flash is something we take for granted. In the 1800s, families would pay a

fortune to have their group portraits taken, and today we can take our family Christmas card

photo with a blink of an eye.

3

Cabrera

(“20 Historic Black and White Photos Colorized”, 2015)

Today in the era of photoshop, people are taking historical photos and converting them

into color. I’m not too fond of these images because this conversion deleted all the imagination

that was left within the image. This image by Toni Frissell was taken in 1945 at the end of WWII

in London, and captures a boy who has been abandoned. The expression of the kids face in the

black and white photograph shows more depth, making it more emotional. When in color it is as

if the dirt on his face and his hands has been cleared up, not emphasizing that the connection

with the environment around him has gone through hardship, he seems misplaced.

“For the generations alive before the digital revolution, black and white photography

has an interesting place in our collective consciousness. So many of the most widely

circulated historical images taken by titans of photography have been shot in black

and white”. (Murabayshi)

In this quote, Murabayshi gives evidence that black and white photography is something

we always think about when it comes to history. Before colored film was invented in the 1930s,

people relayed on black and white images to capture their moments. Even then, colored film was

4

Cabrera

so expensive, that during the first and second World War, the majority of the images were taken

in black and white. It has truly been an important role in our history, and to see images of life

was like 100 years ago, helps us develop data on the transformation we’ve made, through

technology, the economy, fashion, and lifestyle. It gives us proof that these historical events

actually happened, and weren’t made up and written in a book.

(Freedman, Cover)

This photograph by Lewis Hine was one of his most famous. The image shows two small

boys that are barefoot with torn clothing, working in a cotton mill, and it captures the condition

of the time. Lewis Hine was known for making a huge difference in the awareness of child labor

during the industrial revolution. He photographed children at work to show people the rural

conditions children were being forced to work in. These black and white photographs are a big

part of our history, because of the progress that’s been made with child laboring and schooling.

Lewis Hine’s photography showed children in the most uncomfortable situations, and displayed

them some with injuries from laboring. People got to see and sympathize with these photographs

5

Cabrera

because it was evidence of children being at work instead of school. It was the proof that was

executed to the people that made them realize children shouldn’t work, the morality of the

situation that was dignified.

There is something about looking at an image and empathizing or sympathizing with the

subject. Black and white photography appeals to emotion like no other form of art. The lights

and darks that reflect on the wrinkles of a face can dramatize any picture. “Looking at someone’s

face, or into their eyes, without the distraction of color can provide a stronger emotional

connection to your subject.” (Geffin)

(Milan)

The article I took this photo from was a collection of photographs of transgender people in New

York. The photograph is a beautiful example of emotion showing through photographs and

connects to the claim that David Geffin delivered with the claim that a face can illustrate the

emotion of the subject. The expression on her face says a lot about the situation of the struggles

trans-gender’s face, especially for black trans women.

“For the documentary photographer, communication of the story is the key success

criteria.”

6

Cabrera

(Murabayashi)

As Murabayashi expresses, the story that is communicated through the image is the most critical

aspect to a successful photograph. The image being black and white captures the ambiguity of

the subject, forcing us to read the expressions of the subject’s face and posture in the image. “In

contrast, color photography of actual settings overwhelms with its specificity and leaves little

room for distance and thereby for theory” (Sassen). As Sassen explains, color gives everything

away, leaving little to the imagination of the situation, thus emphasizing the raw beauty of black

and white photography.

“Photographs permit us to communicate to the world what we see, and the things we find

in our pictures symbolize what we feel…”

(Gassan)

Black and white photography is something we have studied since childhood. It is the

foundation of photography and has been in our history books since the 1800s, and have touched

the lives of people around the world, whether it captured life in the most rural situations of loss

or the happiest moments of victory. Gassan explains how photography is a form of

communication through symbolism. It’s amazing, the power it has, to show life in its raw form,

and how it strips the subject down to the emotion it’s conveying. Black and white photography is

a necessary form of art and is a lost art that deserves much more appreciation that it gets, because

it limits us to using light for the design of the photograph, it’s capable to emphasize the

emotional aspects of the subject or environment, and it defines the origins of photography.

7

Cabrera

Works Cited

Bellis, Mary. “From Pinholes to Polaroids: The History of the Camera.” ThoughtCo. N.p., n.d. Web.

Freedman, Russell. Kids at Work Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor. N.p.: Paw Prints,

2008. Print.

Gassan, Arnold, and A. J. Meek. Exploring Black and White Photography. Madison, WI: Brown &

Benchmark, 1993. Print.

Geffin, David. "Why It's Still Important to Shoot In Black And White." Fstoppers. N.p., 02 Dec.

2014. Web.

Luciana, James. Black and White Photography: Manifest Visions: An International Collection.

Gloucester, MA: Quarry, 2000. Print. 

Milan, Tiq. "Striking Photos of Transgender Life in NYC." CNN. Cable News Network, 16 Dec.

2016. Web. 

Murabayshi, Allen. "Is Black and White Photography a Gimmick?" PetaPixel. N.p., 14 Nov. 2014.

Web.

Mushero, Lara. "Why Choose Black and White Photography?" BLOG - PAUL'S PHOTO & Creative

Photo Academy. N.p., 29 Aug. 2013. Web.

"20 Historic Black and White Photos Colorized." TwistedSifter. N.p., 01 July 2015. Web.

8