There is just something about a black and white image. It seems like color would yield more emotion in images as we have the different hues representing various feelings. Why is it then that a high contrast black and white image can show and cause deep meaningful emotion? Perhaps there is less distraction and we can see deeper into the subject without the hindrance of colors which sometimes betray the true feeling. Maybe it is something far more simple. Perhaps we feel a certain type of nostalgia when we see these images in shades of gray. A throwback to a time when we did not live and communicate through outlets such as this one. A time when emotion was raw and confrontational. In those days when you viewed a photograph you really felt it. I mean literally felt it. You could feel the texture and thickness of the paper. You could rub your fingers over the image service and get a tactile feel of the image. Today many of us see most of our imagery on a digital screen. We go to museums, but we can not touch the work, we can not feel it. Of course there are the lucky few who still develop in the dark room or print their images in some way. Black and white images are a reminder of those days when we felt our imagery, held it in our hand and knew it was real. Photoshop has sorely dampened the believability of the images we produce. Of course images have been doctored almost as long as they have been produced, but there is just something about the classic black and white image. It feels real to us. It feels tangible and tactile. We connect with it on an emotional and almost physical level. Please take time to enjoy and feel the imagery. I fear that part of the photography equation is a dying animal among the masses....
"I invite you to a world where there is no such thing as time, and every creature lends it self to change your state of mind"-Shinedown
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