Contrast Studies

Black and white forces a decision. You can’t hide behind color, can’t distract with saturation. It’s just light and its absence, and the infinite gradations between.

Why Monochrome

Color photographs show you what something looks like. Black and white photographs show you what something is.

That’s not entirely true — it’s more romantic than accurate — but there’s a kernel of truth in the exaggeration. When you remove color, you’re left with form, texture, the quality of light itself.

The Process

I don’t think about black and white when I shoot. The conversion happens later, in the quiet of editing. Some images demand it. Others refuse.

The ones that work in monochrome are the ones where light was already the subject.