in this issue
contributors
David Yarrow has been
putting himself in harm’s
way for two decades to
capture immersive and
evocative photographs
of the world’s most revered and endan-
gered species. See more of his work at
davidyarrowphotography.com.
W
hen we think of black-and-white
photography, the first images that
come to mind are the iconic landscapes
of photographers like Ansel Adams or
the candid, photojournalistic scenes of
everyday life captured by Henri Cartier-
Bresson. We don’t typically think of wild-
life photography in black-and-white; as
a genre, its subjects are usually revealed
in full color. So for this year’s Black &
White issue, we make a departure from
convention to showcase the awe-inspir-
ing monochrome wildlife images of
acclaimed photographer David Yarrow.
His newly published monograph, David
Yarrow Photography: Americas – Africa- Antarctica – Arctic – Asia – Europe
(Rizzoli, 2019), features 150 recent pho-
tographs, with proceeds being donated
to the conservation charities Tusk in the
U.K. and WildAid in the U.S. A selection
of these images illustrates our interview
with Yarrow, “Into The Wild,” in which
he explains his reasons for choosing
black-and-white for wildlife photogra-
phy and his preference for using a wider
focal length lens rather than telephoto—
another unconventional approach.
While Marc Koegel’s landscape
photographs are more in line with our
black-and-white preconceptions, they’re
anything but ordinary. Behind their exqui-
site aesthetic is remarkable technology:
Koegel is using the Phase One IQ4 dig-
ital back, which produces astounding
150-megapixel resolution. He chose the
IQ4 Achromatic, a decision that limits
him to monochrome capture. For a camera
system that carries a $50,000 price tag,
that might seem an extreme limitation,
but for Koegel it was absolutely the right
choice. Part of the reason is his desire to
make massive prints. “Having the abil-
ity to go 50x50, I’ve even done 50x100,
that’s why I’m doing it,” he explains. But
his equipment choice is also influenced
by his approach to photography. Koegel
feels that, “If what you’re trying to do is
black-and-white, color is a distraction.”
And as to the extra size and weight that
such a camera system entails—at a time
when most photographers want to reducethe burden of their camera gear and are
opting for smaller systems—Koegel actu-
ally prefers that his equipment slows him
down a bit. “The experience is even more
important than the picture,” Koegel says.
For those of us not shooting with a mono-
chrome-only system, when we want to cre-
ate black-and-white images, the technique
that offers the most creative flexibility is to
capture in RAW and convert to black-and-
white in post processing. In “From Color
To Black-And-White,” Brian Matiash
begins by considering the ways in which
working in monochrome can help you
become a stronger photographer and open
up new possibilities for images that perhaps
didn’t work as well in full color. “When
you remove the distraction of color from
the equation,” Matiash observes, “you’re
left with manipulating tone. By effectively
wrangling tone—determining what should
be lighter and what should be darker—you
can reveal and enhance contour, shape and
depth.” Along with explaining his creative
approach, Matiash also provides an over-
view of three of his favorite software options
for converting color to monochrome.
Also in this issue is part three of Jason
Bradley’s guide to organizing your photo
library. As we learned in part two, using
keywords is an essential practice from
which all photographers can benefit, but
it’s just one aspect of an efficient workflow.
Using software features such as color labels
and ratings can help you identify images
based on their intended end use or your
qualitative assessments of each. Beyond
the practical value of an organized library,
there’s a potential that it will encourage
you to do more with your images. Bradley
concludes that, “Keeping up with good
practices in organization doesn’t just keep
you neat and tidy; I believe it also will make
you more prolific.”
–Wes Pitts, EditorMarc Koegel Ã>wi
art photographer working
predominately in black-
and-white. His award-win-
ning photographs are
held in private collections and exhibited
worldwide. See his workshop offerings at
marckoegel.com.Brian Matiash is a pro-
fessional photographer,
published author and
photo podcast host based
in southern Utah. He has
spent over 15 years helping others with
their photography. See more of his work
at learn.matiash.com.outdoorphotographer.com November 2019 11