a collection of thoughts.

Lately, I’ve been shooting a lot in black and white.

Black and white photography isn’t anything new but…I kinda go through phases.

Each time I shoot in black and white I see the world in a different light.

Initially for me, and I think for many others that hadn’t fully stepped into photography, black and white was just this cool little filter we’d put over our pictures. But once you pick up a camera and start shooting more manually black and white becomes so much more.

One thing I love about black and white is the shooting experience.

Sometimes color can be a distraction.

When composing and framing images without color, I find myself more focused on lighting and exposures.

I pay attention to contrast differently, and I believe the type of pictures I produce come out differently because I initially composed them in black and white.

Black and white is weird.

For pretty much most of us, the world we see is in color.

Rarely do we ever see things in just black and white - besides black and white photos themselves.

So sometimes the sole reference I have for black and white are just other black and white photos.

This makes it unique solely because there’s an absence of color.

Now I might be thinking too deeply into this because hey - its just photography. But to me black and white seems to have a natural non-naturalness to it that I enjoy and love.

I shoot with fujifilm - so taking photos is a very manual experience. Dials here and dials there to control various settings like aperture, iso, and shutter speed.

I’d be lying if I said fujifilm’s film simulations didn’t have a role in my appreciation for black and white. Acros and monochrome are a joy to shoot with and I find myself being tempted to use them more and more.

Perhaps my favorite element of shooting in black and white is the nostalgia it brings.

Because the first photographs and films were in black and white its generally associated with things of the past. So when we take pictures in black and white there’s an instant connection with the feeling of the past, and we see it as such.

From its use in portraits, to reportage and street photography, black and white stands versatile and timeless.

I can’t say whether I like color or black and white photos more.

Both bring their own unique elements of photographs that simply can’t be replicated by one another.

I can only truly say that I’ll continue shooting with both.

And I will enjoy doing so.