On Black & White Street Photography

"Sandwich Bored"

A colleague of mine was discussion a photo I had recently taken (Sandwich Bored, at right). Although a staunch proponent of color, he mentioned that he liked it in black and white. He said, “I find it funny that B&W city subjects make for a better B&W then most subjects.” This got me thinking.

I think there is just a certainly quality of black and white that goes hand in hand with an urban feel. Perhaps it stems from the fact that our cultural language of city/street photography was molded and solidified by the great street photographers of the early to mid 20th century…who all worked in black and white.

With the introduction of portable cameras (such as the legendary Leicas and other rangefinders of the era), photography was freed from the constraints of the large and decidedly un-portable view cameras that had dominated photography. With the freedom, portability, and unobtrusiveness of these smaller cameras, photographers were able to explore a new way of looking and photographing: fast, stealthy, and in the flow of life (think Cartier-Bresson’s “Decisive Moment”). And what better place to explore this new-found vision than the cities with their fast pace and visual overload?

With this explosion of new possibilities, photography was changed. And anytime there is such a significan shift in an art form, it’s going to be imprinted on our collective consciousness. Therefore, we are used to seeing urban/street scenes in black and white. They make sense to us. They look familiar.