Capture Australia – September-October 2019

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[capture] sep_oct.19

has persisted in photojournalism. Caimi & Piccinni suspect that it is
connected to the tradition of photojournalism, which developed its
aesthetic in the black-and-white photographic era. “Robert Capa’s 1944
photographs of US forces’ assault on Omaha Beach on D-Day just weren’t
thinkable in colour. Commercial 35mm rolls where still at a very early
stage,” they note. “We also think that black and white is still capable of
triggering a more emotive response through its very nature of demanding
an imaginative intervention of the viewer to match a monochromatic
evocative image to reality. So paradoxically, black and white makes it
easier to emphasise the poignant content of a photojournalistic reportage.”
Paul Blackmore agrees. “The dark tones and the starkness of black and
white can express and support the often-challenging issues and subject
matter you see in photojournalism. There is a set of different emotional
responses you get from the richness of blacks in black and white that you
don’t get in colour photos. The evocative and raw moods of black and
white often help articulate the photojournalist’s intentions.”

Greatness beckons
Of course, not all black-and-white photography is great. “To make it
great, make it timeless,” Ireland suggests. “Transcend trends, surprise
people, wake them up. Great black and white photographs have a
classical edge. A great black and white photographer would have a keen
appreciation of tone and the relationship between subjects within a
frame. A great black and white photographer would also have
command over the simple but powerful ingredients of photography, like
shape, form, tone, and texture.” Study the greats, he adds, citing Ansel
Adams, Robert Capa, or Paul Strand from the past, and Sally Mann,
Josef Koudelka, and Matt Black from the present.

Breyer states, “With colour one can build a

composition with hues. With black and white it

depends on tones, which are subtler. It’s all about

light and shadow, and paying attention to the most

basic forms of composition. Because of that, I love

contrast. I love black blacks, white whites, and the

creamy tones in-between. And I love film pushed a

few stops. In order to protect the richness of the

range, in digital I expose for highlights, and with

film I expose for shadows.” Breyer thinks it’s

interesting to observe what happens when digital is converted to black

and white. “For a colour shooter to get their feet wet in black and

white, I would recommend a scavenger hunt of light and shadow to get

a feel for their power and beauty,” she adds.

A great working knowledge of black-and-white film and processing

is essential, Ireland and Caimi & Piccinni concur. “The main challenge

is to preserve the organic hallmark of black and white photography, as

it was originally meant,” Caimi & Piccinni state. “If someone

understands the principles of black and white, they have a frame of

reference. Of course, rules can be broken for effect, but only if you

understand what those rules are,” Ireland notes. “Practise, practise,

practise,” states Mitchell. “Learn to see just light, contrast, and form

when considering your photo. Learn how colour translates into

black-and-white tones when composing your image.”

Getting physical

The question of digital vs film is more complex. Ireland is a strong

proponent of film. “Otherwise you’ll be dealing with digital black-and-

To make it

great, make it

timeless.

Christopher Ireland