Every photographer lives in this moment: attending an event where photographic conditions are difficult. When he then sorted his photos, he found the result disappointing. At this moment a false hope appears in his mind similar to magical thinking: everything can be fixed in post-production. Then he converts his photos to black and white. “It will be dramatic and artistic,” he told himself.
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But be careful: you should keep in mind that removing colors from an image also means removing information.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the Verden region towards the end of 2023 to find out the extent of the recent floods. Indeed, photographing a head of state surrounded by about fifty members of the media was no easy task.
This is the exercise done by Alexander Körner, of Getty Images. Shortly after making his original images available to Getty's corporate media, he uploaded them a second time, but in black and white.
Let's take this opportunity to compare two versions of some of his images.
Drag the slider to see each different shape. On mobile, tap next to the pointer before moving it.
The first image is loaded. Multiple sound recorder spikes taint the picture. Our eye searches for the main topic. In this improvisational cycle of famous books Where is Charlie?Chancellor Olaf Schulz is somewhere in the crowd. Finally I found it in the center. He's the one looking at the camera.
There are many irritants in this image, but converting it to black and white does not improve the situation.
The black and white version only exacerbates the problems. The monochromatic tone of the crowd sends our eyes in all directions. Where is the advisor? The colorful roofs of the houses that closed the frame disappeared. Multi-colored tiling of paving stones is also underwater. disappointment.
Then Alexander Körner left the photographers, photographers and other reporters behind and chose another point of view: a row of houses flooded by the Aller River that had burst its banks, in a residential area of Verdun.
The murky waters in the foreground help us understand the scale of the disaster. Brown is evocative. The composition is beautiful and balanced. Sober picture.
In black and white, there is some confusion. The introduction is more difficult to understand. Is it a concrete wall? Is it water? In the sky, the fine details of the clouds also disappeared. High contrast makes the image more dramatic, but less informative.
In the third photo, a disaster victim uses a garden hose to drain water over a sandbag dam.
The yellow digestive tract stands out against the white background of the sacs. This is perfect because the most important elements in this picture are the yellow hose and water. A blue fence with yellow accents indicates a well-maintained home. The pink tone of the subject's skin is also subtle. We can guess the social status of the residents of the area affected by the floods.
A monochromatic image is less convincing. It is difficult to notice a garden hose that is difficult to distinguish from the victim's hands. The blue of the fence draws the eye to the subject in the center, which is no longer the case. Important fine details have also disappeared: the yellow decorations, the small green plants, the red brick wall and other beige walls typical of this area. Black and white removes important information and makes the image monotonous.
My wink of the week
However, I do not condemn the use of black and white in photojournalism.
Whether the photos are in color or black and white, a photojournalist's job is to inform the audience in the best way possible. There are cases where black and white are quite appropriate.
The picture is a good example. As long as the photo reflects the personality of the subject, there is no problem.
In 2022, I created a portrait of former MP and businesswoman Claire Sampson. After a long interview about her career, she decided to keep her cigarette while filming. It was the first time in many moons that I had photographed someone smoking!
Since this moment, for me, evokes a bit of another era, I had the idea of treating it in black and white to give it a retro effect. An artistic decision, while respecting the nature of the subject being photographed.
“Total coffee aficionado. Travel buff. Music ninja. Bacon nerd. Beeraholic.”
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