How and when to use black and white photography in a world of colour
Black and white photography is irrelevant because we don’t see like that; we see the world in colour. This is probably the most common retort to black and white imagery and it’s no secret that it’s picked up a slightly pretentious and elitist self-image in recent years. We wanted to chart its trajectory since the inception of photography and try to find out if and why it’s relevant today. Despite photography starting off in monochrome, the medium always felt like it was meant to be in colour. That’s because photography in the 19th century wasn’t so much a form of expression but instead, a scientific… Read more
Black and white photography is irrelevant because we don’t see like that; we see the world in colour. This is probably the most common retort to black and white imagery and it’s no secret that it’s picked up a slightly pretentious and elitist self-image in recent years. We wanted to chart its trajectory since the inception of photography and try to find out if and why it’s relevant today. Despite photography starting off in monochrome,… Read more
, Bauhaus was outward-looking and avant-garde. Being outward-looking is just one of the key teachings that Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius was keen to instil. He encouraged students to go outside their craft and saw no difference between an artist and a craftsman. For Gropius, the principles of good design transcend mediums and formats. Today, we’re very familiar with this philosophy and many artists will talk about the importance of training ‘the eye’. This ability to see things in a fresh light or find beauty in the mundane is often the catalyst for great design. At the time, Gropius was tired of how […]&picture=https://www.alamy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/E4PDH4.jpg&?utm_source=social&utm_content=website-share&utm_campaign=What even is Bauhaus? Five lessons we can learn 100 years on&utm_medium=facebook)
 and the aesthetics (colour is often not necessary).” This explains why Vincenzo’s images are so eye-catching – your eyes instantly focus on the subject, even when shot from an unusual angle. There is no clutter or extraneous content to lessen the impact and focus. And the vast majority of his portfolio is in black and white. Vincenzo was born in Abruzzo, Italy, in 1967. “I started taking pictures with my grandfather’s rangefinder camera. The […]&picture=https://www.alamy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Vincenzo-Dragani-Interview-Header-Image.jpg&?utm_source=social&utm_content=website-share&utm_campaign=Interview: Vincenzo Dragani&utm_medium=facebook)
 logo and thus, also became the face of wildlife conservation. If you look through any wildlife conservation literature, you’re often confronted with cute or big, charismatic animals: tigers, pandas and polar bears. Something fluffy. Something cuddly, seemingly. Of course, this is a marketing decision and who can blame them, cute and fluffy sells. But does this undermine conservation efforts? And is this really the right way to engage and enthuse the public about conservation? What if I were to tell you that there are growing calls in the UK for widespread reintroduction of the Eurasian beaver as part of a rising push to ‘rewild’ the British countryside? Beavers are already back and in a […]&picture=https://www.alamy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/JJM6RM.jpg&?utm_source=social&utm_content=website-share&utm_campaign=The reintroduction of beavers to the UK – the best animal to coexist with?&utm_medium=facebook)
. Nick won the Documentary Series Category of the British Wildlife Photography Awards in 2014 and 2016 and produced many award-winning films for the BBC and other major broadcasters in his previous career. He’s […]&picture=https://www.alamy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/TEMPLATE-Interview-Header-Image-Nick-Upton.jpg&?utm_source=social&utm_content=website-share&utm_campaign=Interview: Nick Upton&utm_medium=facebook)
. After graduating, Luc taught English as a second language to students in Spain and England – he speaks fluent Polish, Spanish, English, Italian and French. It was while living […]&picture=https://www.alamy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Luc-Kordas-Interview-Header-Image.jpg&?utm_source=social&utm_content=website-share&utm_campaign=Interview: Luc Kordas&utm_medium=facebook)