Interpreting reality with black-and-white photography
B&W as a mode of expression for contemporary photography
Black and white photo of the Grand Place in Brussels
There's something magical about grayscale images. A historic technique, with silver-based photography, it bears witness to the times. Despite the advent of color film in the 60s, black & white photography has remained timeless. Supplanted by a technical constraint, it has nevertheless quickly established itself as timeless.
Many of today's great photographers, such as Michael Kenna and Damon Winter, have made black & white their specialty. And we can be sure that all passionate photographers, professional and amateur alike, have practiced it and will continue to do so.
Black and white photo of a wood in Walloon Brabant
If color photography is the representation of reality, then black & white photography can be considered the interpretation of reality.
Monochrome is perfect for magnifying :
Textures such as wood, stone or brick.
Materials such as leather, cotton and fabric.
Light and strong contrasts; differences between shadowy and brighter areas.
Lines and symmetries also take on the intensity they deserve.
Disregarding color also helps harmonize the rendering of the image. The result is an elegant photo with character.
In this way, B&W truly guides the public's eye, enhancing a scene, landscape, architecture or portrait.
This game has no limits for the best creative photographers.
Dodge and Burn
Dodge and Burn" is a photo retouching technique. Widely used in black and white photography, it accentuates contrasts, refines details in highlights and lowlights, and redefines volumes. A real boost for your shots!
This post-processing method has its origins in silver photography. In fact, it dates back to the days when clichés were manipulated in darkrooms and adjustments were made during enlargement, when the photo negative was projected onto paper.
During this photo process, the area that is too dark and needs more light than the rest of the photo is overexposed. This area is therefore exposed to the light of the projector for longer, and is called "burned".
If, on the other hand, the area is too light and needs less light, we block the light for part of the exposure time: we "dodge" it.
Over time and with digital photography, the tools have evolved considerably, but the basic process remains the same. Still very much in vogue, it enhances the reading of the image and the subject.
B&W for portraiture
Black & White is ideal for all your portraits, whether for professional or artistic purposes. Black & White photos brighten you up, enhancing your eyes and blurring out any small flaws.
Ignoring color allows you to give less importance to elements that may appear as accessories, such as background, hair color or clothing, and thus sublimate the facial expression. Completely timeless, your black and white photo portrait will stand the test of time while remaining chic and elegant.
Choosing black and white photography is above all choosing a timeless image.
Let our photographers guide you to create your most beautiful monochrome portrait.
Stay timeless: choose black and white photography!
Black and white fine art photography: explore Paul Marnef's Imaginary Planets
In its exclusive collection of black and white art photographsPaul Marnef presents his Imaginary Planets with a new intensity, stripped of color to better reveal light, textures and emotions. These limited-edition works, available as fine art prints on a variety of professional media, offer a graphic, poetic and sometimes enigmatic vision of reinvented landscapes. Contrast and shades of gray highlight the very essence of each scene, in an aesthetic that is both contemporary and timeless. To be discovered on his paulmarnef360.com website, this black and white collection is aimed atphotographic art enthusiasts, collectors sensitive to elegant sobriety, and anyone wishing to enhance their home with a unique and evocative work.