The Beauty of Black and White

How many of you enjoy a great black and white photograph?  The rich blacks and the clean whites with all the shades of gray in between makes it pleasing to the eye.
Add a little color to it such as a sepia tone and it becomes a very warm delightful image.   You can almost feel the warmth as you scan the image with your eyes.

In portraits we use some of these warm colors to express warmth between two or more people.

The portrait on the right I used a warm color to emphasize the natural warmth these two people have for each other.

Also notice how the dark clothing allows the eye to focus on the two faces.  When you walk into the room where the portrait is displayed the first thing someone will notice is the beautiful faces of the people we know and love.

This is what I do with portraits in the Essential's Collection.

I also love to use black and white images for my high school seniors.  Although I don't use the warm colors as much with these portraits the high contrast helps to give the image drama.  A special lighting technique is used to achieve this look.

Black and white definitely has a beauty that many people enjoy.