Change In Color

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Peace is inescapable. I surrendered long ago.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

Sometimes, despite all of life’s difficulties, I have the overwhelming sense of being blessed. Your goodness astounds me, surrounds me, abounds in my life. Clouds appear, but they just give a temporary and interesting cast to the dominant light you shine on me. Your bounty fills me with gratitude.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Bingo! I win again! Just psychic, I guess.”

[No, He was not Catholic.]

D. Blog: Black & White Photographs

I do some amateur photography. Over time, I’ve developed some quite definite opinions and tastes when it comes to taking and displaying photos, what works and what doesn’t. I want to take on what appears to be one sacred cow for most photographers: black and white photographs.

Why remove the natural color from any picture? Our eyes are naturally attracted to the colorful, so what’s the point of taking out what will attract a viewer’s eyes? Making a shot look other than natural should only be done if it enhances the photo’s impact. Most black and white photos don’t do that. Just because it’s considered more “stylish” does not make it a better presentation of the photo. Stark black and white can get our attention, but only briefly, and then only with clear highlights to make us want to look closely.

Similarly, I think black frames with white mattes should be used very selectively. They require vivid color to complement the starkness. So I tire of photographers' work when they use black and white routinely to display their pictures.

In the old days of photography, “colorless” photos were the only option. Now that we can do color photography, holding on to black and white as a standard of photographic excellence reminds me of wanting to keep Pleasantville the way it’s always been. Change is all around us, and it's in color.