1. Seeing the World in Black and White: A Photographer’s Perspective
Vassilis Korkas
Farnham, 24 April 2017

2. Vassilis Korkas Photography
View from Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee during the Civil War, 1864
Image credit: nashville.about.com
Colourised image credit: Sanna Dullaway
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3. Vassilis Korkas Photography
Nikola Tesla
1893
Mark Twain
ca. 1900
Charlie Chaplin
1916
Image credit: Danna Keller
Image credit: zuzahin
Image credit: BenAfleckIsAnOkActor
Image credit: Napoleon Sarony
Image credit: Unknown
Image credit: Unknown
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4. Vassilis Korkas Photography
Overview
A very brief history of B&W photography
What the masters say
Why is B&W photography still appealing?
When to shoot (and how to think) in B&W
Examples of a B&W workflow
Things to try out
Your questions
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5. Vassilis Korkas Photography
A brief history of B&W photography
The photographic process became known in 1839 in France (Daguerreotype, after Louis Daguerre)
John Herschel coined the term photography, also in 1839
Photography soon became a documentary process (American Civil War, Life magazine, child labour in American factories in the early 20th century)
Early signs of specialisation (e.g. Robert Capa, Diane Arbus, Ansel Adams, etc.)
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6. Vassilis Korkas Photography
The B&W masters I
“We have all fallen in love with the beauty and power of black and white photography where everything is stripped down to the core; light, textures, contrast, tonality, mood and raw emotion.”
Deanne Fitzmaurice
Ansel Adams - The Tetons and the Snake River (1942)
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7. Vassilis Korkas Photography
The B&W masters II
“I think there is a certain nostalgia to it that people long for as we’re bombarded with colour and chaos every day in our lives. Something about it just mellows me out and gives me a different experience when reading a photo. Anything that gives the viewer that experience will always be popular.”
Chip Litherland
Henri Cartier-Bresson - France. Paris. Place de l'Europe. Gare Saint Lazare. (1932)
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8. Vassilis Korkas Photography
The B&W masters III
“There is definitely something elemental in [black and white] which eliminates so many of the potential distractions (and wonders, alike) that colour is all about. [Black and white] can reduce a scene to something more easily and quickly absorbed. It retains a kind of purity which we respond to without so much study.”
David Burnett
Richard Avedon - Ronald Fischer, beekeper (1981)
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9. Vassilis Korkas Photography
The B&W masters IV
“Of course, black and white is an abstraction, but from the brightest white to the darkest black what you have is greys, and these greys are what I had in my mind when I took the picture[s].”
Sebastião Salgado
Sebastião Salgado - Fireball, Greater Burhan oil field (1991)
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10. Vassilis Korkas Photography
Why is B&W photography still appealing?
The distraction of colour
Appreciation of light
Emphasis on emotion
The timeless quality of B&W
Negative space
Forms, shapes and patterns
Focus on composition
Nimit Nigam - Night Contrast (2014)
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11. Vassilis Korkas Photography
When to shoot (and how to think) in B&W
Shooting subjects with strong graphic elements
Highlighting textures and high-contrast situations (light vs shadows)
Neutralising non-complimentary colours
Skin tones in challenging lighting conditions
A B&W image is a creative choice, not a necessity. Ask ‘why’, not ‘when’!
Bahadir Bermek - Need some rest (2011)
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12. Vassilis Korkas Photography
Personal experience: B&W workflow
The ghosts of West Bay
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13. Vassilis Korkas Photography
Personal experience: B&W workflow
In the distance
Honourable mention in the Fine Art: Landscape class of the International Photography Awards 2015
Vassilis Korkas Photography
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14. Vassilis Korkas Photography
Personal experience: B&W workflow
Vassilis Korkas Photography
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15. Vassilis Korkas Photography
Personal experience: B&W workflow
Vassilis Korkas Photography
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16. Vassilis Korkas Photography
Personal experience: B&W workflow
Vassilis Korkas Photography
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17. Vassilis Korkas Photography
Personal experience: B&W workflow
Rock sea, cotton sky
Honourable mention in the
Fine Art: Landscape class of the International Photography Awards 2015
Vassilis Korkas Photography
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18. Vassilis Korkas Photography
Personal experience: B&W workflow
Vassilis Korkas Photography
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19. Vassilis Korkas Photography
Personal experience: B&W workflow
Ancient memories
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20. Vassilis Korkas Photography
Personal experience: B&W workflow
Vassilis Korkas Photography
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21. Vassilis Korkas Photography
Personal experience: B&W workflow
Look of disapproval
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22. Vassilis Korkas Photography
Personal experience: B&W workflow
The face of an angel
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23. Vassilis Korkas Photography
Personal experience: B&W workflow
Vassilis Korkas Photography
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24. Vassilis Korkas Photography
Personal experience: B&W workflow
Peeling off the past
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25. Vassilis Korkas Photography
Personal experience: B&W workflow
Lines
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26. Vassilis Korkas Photography
Things to try out
Take up a B&W challenge
Design a pre-/post-production B&W project
Revisit the work of the masters for inspiration
Keep a mental checklist (and put composition at the top!)
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27. Thank you for your attention! Vassilis Korkas Photography
Any questions?
Vassilis Korkas
Vassilis Korkas Photography
vkphotos.co.uk