New Moments, the Old Way

Black and white photography is unforgiving, picky and challenging for any photographer who has only used colour to express their art. When you shoot in black and white, it's more important to consider composition, subject, light and contrast more than anything else. When you remove the colour details in an image, you are just left with the levels of light and shadow, nothing more. This can bring photographers to think more about composure and removing an angle on feedback from the image to then boil down the subject and the message they want to send the viewer.

Now, with the photographer knowing the composition, subject, light and contrast, why would they choose in the 20th century to shoot black and white film? Yes, the images above and below were compiled on developed on black and white 35mm film. This is an experience few modern photographers use as a tool to aid their development. Shooting on physical film stock is hard to expose properly, it is limiting at only 36 photos / roll in most cases, and requires patience and time to develop it; So why continue this art when one can just shoot digital? It is certainly imperfect and has its flaws over digital; Everyone can see the grain the in image. As the onlooker of these images, is that what we are all really looking for in an image? Imperfections and flaws?

I can speak to the angle of time, when it comes to film photography. It makes you appreciate the time and composition of the image. It makes you value the time your subject (though sometimes very brief) offers you to take a photo. It makes you appreciate the moment more than ever and for you to offer the you full measure of artistic ability toward it, only to offer others a simple reflection of it. Film is a craft few appreciate for that it really is; In a world where turn-around for projects can be an hour, film offers you a few moments more to appreciate the process and give unconditional attention to its creation from start to finish.