Color Blind

In recent years my photography has gradually shifted toward black-and-white. I enjoy its inherent lack of reality and added emphasis on line, shape, and tonal contrast, qualities that interest me more than color. I find the black-and-white format offers more room for interpretation and expression. However, I have resisted the urge to abandon color altogether, preferring to let the scene dictate the format. It just so happens that fewer color scenes interest me. Lately, I’ve been experiencing a growing sense of dissatisfaction with my color photographs. I now often find color to be too literal, especially in scenes that are beyond the intimate scale.

I strive to make photos that are both creative and expressive, photos that reflect my vision and way of seeing the world. My images are not an objective representation of what I see, but rather a subjective interpretation. However, some images can be characterized as subjective representations. That is to say, images in which the subject matter may still be representational in terms of an accurate rendering of color and lighting, but the choice of subject matter and more importantly the composition is subjective. By definition then, all images that are a subjective representation are color images. But, are they still creative and expressive? In my mind, I know the answer is yes. As a litmus test I often ask myself, would a random person have seen this? If I believe the answer is no, I consider it a creative photograph. Composition is the most powerful creative tool available to photographers. And yet, despite the subjectivity I am finding it harder to get past the representational quality in my own color photographs.

Subjectivity in a photograph is primarily a product of the imagination of the photographer. However, I find the degree of subjectivity is often a function of scale. In recent years photographing intimate scenes has become increasingly popular. Images of ice details, mud cracks, wild grasses, etc. are everywhere on social media. Whether rendered in color or black-and-white, intimate, close-up scenes allow more room for interpretation and subtlety. They are more subjective and more personal. However, as the scale of the scene increases from intimate to medium distance and further to grand landscapes the subsequent images automatically feel more objective and descriptive. In color, they feel literal. I have often wondered, is it possible to make a subjective photograph of a grand scene photographed in color with a wide-angle lens? I’m not sure.

I made the image below on a recent springlike afternoon. I was drawn to the three hemlock trees set amongst the ancient lichen-covered rock. Even though I was moved by the scene and the composition is spot-on, I am finding it difficult to find satisfaction in it. It’s not so much a question of creativity, but rather a literalness that feels discomforting. It may be creative, but it doesn’t feel that way. Creativity in a photograph being a matter of degree and not an either/or proposition, it may be I find the level of creativity to be below my level of interest. 

Ultimately, I believe my dissatisfaction with the photo is due to a continuing shift in my aesthetic tastes. Our vision continues to evolve (hopefully) over our lifetime as we avail ourselves of experiences and other influences. Perhaps the lack of reward I find in color photography beyond the intimate scale is reflective of that evolution. There is little color “landscape” photography out there that moves me. In addition to the literal quality of much of it, there is also a sense of having been there, done that. The work I am most drawn to is black-and-white. I look at the photography of Nicholas Bell and am floored by it. There are qualities in his work and in my black-and-white photography that I can no longer find in color. It is without question that color photographs can be creative, but there is a literal quality in much of it that no longer interests me.