some Final FINAL thoughts...

In the beginning of the semester, our class was presented with a number of questions to ponder , two of which included the following: Black & white vs. color? What makes a good photograph? After having spent nearly four months shooting solely in digital and in color, I have certainly had the time to explore and think about these essential questions but I am not sure if I can really offer any more of a concrete answer than I did in September.

In terms of black and white versus color photography, I am still for some reason or another drawn more to black and white. This course has certainly opened my eyes to the potential color photography has and there will always be some images that work better in color then in black and white. Take the work of Aline Smithson (portrait of the photographer’s mother), Chuck Close, Marilyn Minter and our very own Brittany Ogden (final project) for example. These artists’ work are much more effective and provocative in color because so much of what the photograph is about is color. Color is one of the primary subjects. Conversely, the work of Salgado, Taro and Weiss are all in black and white and attempt to convey the nuances, harsh realities or complete mundaneness of life whether it be abroad while at war or walking down the street in NYC. In these bodies of work, the human subject and “life” takes center stage and to me, color is not necessary because it can be distracting. Ultimately, it seems to me that color and black & white have equally important roles in photography but the roles they serve are incredibly different. Therefore, perhaps the question of “do you prefer black & white photography or color photography” is not even a valid one- how can you compare two things that serve different purposes? It’s synonymous with asking to compare apples and oranges- it just can’t be done. Do I think black & white is better than color photography? No, I just prefer it.

What defines a good photograph could endlessly be debated and overanalyzed. I do think that a good photograph must possess certain technical components (strong use of depth, or light, or focus or composition) but realize that what constitutes a good photo for some people may not similarly do so for others. In September I wrote, “Good pictures serve as a source of dialogue and debate; they have the ability to provoke discussion, interpretation and ultimately, illustrate how another person sees the world in which we live.” I still firmly believe in this. That is, this is my own personal definition of what makes a good photograph because I think it exemplifies the greatest ability of photography … to CAPTURE AND PROJECT.