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The Allure Of Black And White Photos And PhotographyWe are all aware that it is the digital age. Nearly everything you can imagine is digital. Right from audio to books to videos. But perhaps the one thing that was better off in the older, non digital format is photographs. Now call me a laggard, but I have always been fascinated by black and white photos. I just finished commenting on the black and white photos of Ansel Adams, but don't believe I got anywhere near close to describing in verbal language the language of the genius of the language that is black and white photos. (See what I mean? Even that sentence is hard to follow.) With Adams's work, there is such a definitive eye involved, such a gift for capturing or encapsulating wind on water or ice and snow or two kinds of rock in contrast that I—far from being an art scholar—fall short of translating. The same goes for many fantastic artists who have "created" the black and white photos in a time when photo manipulation was not an option. No MS Paint programs or Adobe Photoshop tools were extant, and cameras were not high tech or instant. There is something about black and white photos that is truly unique. Popular opinion dictates that something that is monochromatic is likely to be less appealing than something that is multi chromatic. Even in our everyday lives, most of us prefer color to black and white, so why should it be any different with photos? I speak to the likes of the black and white photos of Ansel Adams, of course, but also to those of other photographic geniuses over time. For example, consider the stunning eye of the controversial Robert Mappelthorpe. Bodies are more than vessels of life, lines are living, and structure is studied. The nude black man is edible rock muscle and tone luring the viewer to reconsider the person he or she has slept next to for the last forty years. The same human body takes archetypal shape in the black and white photos of Herb Ritts. His sweaty, greasy mechanics wearing dog tags of war face the camera with the faces of boys displaced. His landscapes are melded with the ballet of bodies on beaches. His depictions of distortions are more real than surreal and yet strangely comforting and discomforting at once. And the distortions and damages as realistic black and white photos meet with the eye of the brilliant Annie Leibovitz. In one work, Leibovitz depicts the fallout of abuse, her camera picking up the crust of old blood; in another, pompous rockers pose with puffed out chests and seasoned eyes, while boyhood purity shows as residual vulnerability in the turn of a neck, in the wisp of a half closed eye. If I had to choose, though, the most striking of all black and white photos is one done of Nicolas Cage. Let me preface the vote with the information that will disclose my bias: I have almost every picture of Nicolas Cage, cut from magazines, included in books on the superstar, or featured on movie marquee posters. But this photo is a close up—I mean a CLOSE up. Done by Anton Corbijn (I THINK—if not, I truly apologize), this photo of Nic, in a contemplative mood of sorts, is so close up that one can count the eyelashes, one can determine the pores of Nic's skin. It is rugged and rough; it is precious flesh and palatable portrayal. It is the best of the best of black and white photos. There is another thing about black and white photos. Unlike the more contemporary photos, they are ageless and timeless. Ever wondered why, if color is the way of the world, why the digital cameras of the present day still come with the option that allows you to capture black and white photos? My rationale for this is that the more discerning consumer will always choose black and white photos over the new fangled, digital color photos. And no amount of pixels or mega pixels for that matter is likely to change that! The Full Article continue here
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