THE TIMELESSNESS OF BLACK & WHITE STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

If you go through the pictures of the greats like Henri Cartier-Bresson, Vivian Maier, Robert Doisneau, Elliott Erwitt and others, you’ll realise there is an inimitable, classic quality to their pictures. And what’s the common thread linking them? The pictures clicked by these greats exude the timeless quality that comes through the black & white medium. When you extend the power of B&W to street photography, you can create impactful images that transport the viewer onto a cloud of nostalgia. You draw their eye directly to your subject, without letting them get misled by any kind of distractions. If you too want to click timeless, classic pictures, it is time you tried your hand at black & white street photography!

- NITYAPRIYA KALIYATH

Street Photography

Before we go ahead and unravel the reasons for shooting street in black and white, let’s first uncover the true definition of street photography.

Street photography refers to capturing candid, unposed moments in public places. These places can be of any kind – the beach, a monument, or the ghats of Varanasi. However, this doesn’t mean that you pick up your camera and randomly click pictures of people in public places. That’s not how it works. In street photography too, you are supposed to follow the guidelines of photography. Your picture should have a clearly defined subject; this subject can be animate or inanimate. The image should convey a story – you can use the principles of composition to achieve the story telling effect.

Although street photography might sound pretty simple, mastering it is equally difficult. And one of the ways you can hone your street photography skills is by trying your hand at shooting in black & white.

Shooting in Street in Black & White

Have you ever wondered why black & white street photographs are so impactful? Other than the timelessness offered by the medium, there are other reasons why black & white pictures leave such a deep impression on the viewer.