Before we get into it, I made a YouTube video about this as well and you can find it below.
Did you know I shoot all of my images in black and white? All of them minus some film stocks I love. I shoot in RAW so the image I edit is in color but I only shoot seeing black and white and I think you should try this too. I have always dreamed of owning a Leica Monochrom MD. No this isn’t a real camera sadly but it combines 2 very important minimalistic concepts. Leica is know for making beautiful everything. They also offer a Monochrom line that only shoots in black and white and they are crazy expensive. Makes no sense right? To pay exceedingly more for a camera that doesn’t even shoot color. They also make a line called “MD” and these cameras do not offer a screen of any kind. The only way to see your work is to upload them to a device. In my opinion if Leica make this camera in particular ( not that I could ever buy one ) it could be the purest form of digital photography. Yes the xpro3 comes close with its hidden LCD but it also shoots video, and color, and film simulations etc. Strip it down to the basics and thats my idea for now.
Let’s start by talking about what I see photography as. I think others will agree that it is simply light, and shadows and how they compliment one another to the fullest. Fan Ho was a remarkable creator known for his use of light and his black and white images. His timing was impeccable but him being available and shooting intentionally truly brings his work to life. He uses light and shadows to tell a story and to frame out important pieces in his story. But why in the world would I or in this case, you shoot only in black and white?
Color can be distracting. Period.
There maybe a wonderful setting or moment to capture but the purple tricycle in an eyesore. When you shoot in black and white you only see light, shadow, composition, and moments. You remove the distraction of color. Im not saying color is wrong or bad, but it can often get in the way. I recently shot a bright Yellow house on the beach, with bright blue skies, and even shooting it in BW I knew it would be a color image in its final state because of the colors but all I saw in my viewfinder of my Leica Q was the horizon, framing of the shot, and the angle I wanted to take it from. Also when your shooting in black and white you know immediately if it works as a shot or not. There is none of that, I bet I can make that look great in post if I change this or that, because you only see the light and shadows. I would venture to state that if an image doesn’t move you in BW it will be less impactful in color.
The great thing about it lastly is you get color RAW files so you dont have to only have BW images but you know already they work as BW right? Any color image you produce then is new and exciting again. I can picture the line “ All i do is win win win no matter what “ playing here because you truly win either way.
Stick that monochrome filter on and shoot. Overexpose, underexpose, make something you would be proud to blow up and hang for everyone to see.. then do just that! Print it
Jeremy
