About Black and white

In a recent interview I made with Steve McCurry about his legendary last roll of Kodachrome, I asked Steve about his assessment about color image versus black and white and Steve replied, “….. Our world is colored so I took the image as they are….. *April 2011 issue of Chinese Photography

Indeed, photography as a media of art came very late in human history, in 1822 by Frenchman Joseph Nicéphore Niépce.  Due to technical and media development limitations, image could only be produced in black and white.  Whereas artworks predated early day photography were mostly in color, from the wall painting in the caves, Egyptian painting, the whole history of fine art paintings – except the Chinese water-ink painting which is the real fine art dedicated to black and white. But Western art has always been colorful. So sometimes it is confusing because modern day digital photographers, not all but quite many, vowed to go back to the true fine art while true fine art were in color before photography made them in black and white.

Anyway, this is not a post of saying which is better, certainly not to say which is wrong.  I think it just does not matter.

The Move!

One of the challenges of still image is often that the photographer does not want the image to look still, particular for fashion image.  And there are lots of approaches.  One can use a powerful air blower for the hair, dress (skirt – for some), jump, boxing and so on.  Or sometimes taking an image in a transition, so the image subtly suggests a movement, its past and where it is going to, like this one.

Stars and the night sky

Woman have always had a fetish for everything glitzy and shiny and Sonja Henie, a Norwegian Olympian said it well – “Jewelry takes people’s minds off your wrinkles” is particular true for women. And therefore a jewelry shot without a woman is like taking picture of night sky without stars.

Dance with water

This is a shot made for Physio Radiance Paris.  Water is an interesting subject and one that signifies life, and an indispensible element in cosmetics. 

Water as a subject is interesting to shoot because water is everyday experience, you can’t do wrong, but to create a final image with the right form of water that combine well with another object – in the case here the brush aluminum cosmetic canister, is somewhat a challenge – requiring right movement of water, right angle of the product and right light shaping on both the water and product to have the separate object works in harmony, like dancing.

Reality

It is an awful truth that often nice images were done for the benefits of the viewer than the actual crews involved in the production, except for the commercial rewards.  However, the process can be entertaining itself but could mix with lots of hardships.

Shooting in desert is no fun business, not only it is hot from the top – the sun, but more so from the bottom – the sand.  The model could present herself enjoying the environment but the fact that desert is not a residential choice tells the truth, and sometimes it is just difficult to even keep the eyes open.

Similar to fashion works that a striking poses are often physical demanding and all the while maintain the facial expression request from the photographer.

Is the picture telling lies?  Not really.  It is just reality.
Shot in Taklamakan Desert, China.

Between the lines

A recent shot for jewels, something fun, and something less conventional.

The shot was in fact made after the work was done but often it is those relaxed, unguarded moment that made the best picture of the day.

Little Black Dress

This is an image shot for a fashion label dedicated to little black dress, an otherwise rather straightforward shoot.

However, common sense would suggest such short skirt is indeed very attractive, and sexy, but perhaps difficult for the woman who wears them to be capable of making moves – yes, sexy and safe moves, something doable, but something needs to learn.

And the final image portraits the dress of certain sexiness – the reason to be short, but the motion blur also suggests woman who in such dress is also meant to move!