Pascal Baetens. Nude Photography. The Art and The Craft. 2007

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40 defining styles & approaches

working in black & white

Black and white is an abstraction of reality, reducing the

world’s countless colors and their various shades into

a scale of gray. a monochrome image loses the effects

of color harmony or contrast, instead relying on differences

in density and light and dark to create impact. Many

photographers find it easier to work in black and white,

precisely because most of the tricky issues associated with

color photography are avoided. it could be argued that

some nudes are more “acceptable” in black and white, and

indeed the majority of the most famous nude photographs

are black and white. the absence of color forces you to

focus more attention on tone, contrast, and texture.

Texture and structure

freed from all color distractions—

green trees, blue lampposts and

red graffiti—that were present in the

scene, the play of light and

shadow, interesting textures, and

contrast between the structure and

the model can be fully appreciated.

1 the soft curves of the model and

the subtly drawn lines of sunlight

on her body contrast with the

geometry of the concrete pillars.

2 the repeating, receding lines of

pillars and girders give rhythm and

structure to the image.

3 textures and shadows provide

depth and additional visual interest.

4 strong lines running through the

image converge on the hazy rural

scene in the distance that is

somehow at odds with the

industrial nature of the location.