Take in Colour Think in Black & White

I was out yesterday taking a walk in our local wetlands with the aim of finding some birds to photograph. I took out my iPhone and snapped a wide angle view of part of the wetlands mainly to show the water level. I took the original image in colour and found because of my angle to the light the colours did not look good. I decided to convert the image to black and white and you can see the result below. I liked the black and white but I had not just tried converting to see what it might look like. When I was looking to take the shot I was thinking amongst other things what it could look like as a black and white image.

I think black and white can give a timeless feel to an image. This wetland is small but with the right composition it can look much larger with a slight mystical etherial look. I believe as photographers we get so caught up in what gear we are using and what settings to try and get that perfect shot. Im my mind however perfection can sometimes create a cold sterile image. When somebody looks at one of my images I would hope they feel something. It is like theatre., the worst criticism of a performance or performers in my opinion is when the audience feels nothing. I believe this is also true for photography.

Finally I posted this to show that you don’t need an expensive camera and a battery of Lenses. If you ffind a good composition and it means something to you then your phone is fine. There is an old photographic saying that “The best camera is the one you have with you”. Don’t be told a phone is not a valid form of photography. As with theatre photography should be an inclusive activity and not to be turned into an elitist one based on what you can afford.

You may not like the image below and that is totally fine but I hope it makes you think about photography not as just taking what is in front of you but how what is in front of you makes you feel. Let me know in the comments below your thoughts.

The Wetlands at Mansfield