256 shades of grey
The first black and white image was taken by French inventor, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, in 1825. The image was destroyed as he attempted to make copies of it, but when he tried again, he managed to produce a black-and-white image of a window. It was an inauspicious beginning for a form of media that has fascinated people ever since. Even after Kodachrome was launched in 1935, black-and-white photography did not become obsolete. As colour photography improved, black and white was used less, but it has persisted for its ability to convey sophistication, timelessness, mood, and emotion, as well as its aesthetic appeal.
Some of the world’s most famous photographers have chosen black and white. Ansel Adams, an environmentalist ahead of his time, documented the Wild West of old America in black and white. Diane Arbus documented people outside the norm in black and white. Henri Cartier-Bresson, who was considered to be the father of modern photojournalism and was one of the first photographers to use the new 35mm format for candid photography, shot in black and white. Robert Capa captured his famous real-life moments of people in crisis across five wars in black and white. Richard Avedon defined the style, beauty, and culture of the US during the 20th century in black and white. Helmut Newton defined the fashion world of the ‘60s and ‘70s in black and white. Annie Leibovitz’ most famous image, of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, was shot in colour, but very many of her famous images, including Nelson Mandela; French-American artist and sculptor, Louise Bourgeois; a naked Amy Schumer; and a very young Leo DiCaprio are black and white. Robert Mapplethorpe challenged the world of the ‘70s and ‘80s with his controversial portraits and self-portraits – all in black and white.
A new cohort of photographers is discovering the aesthetics and emotive power of black-and-white photography and a renaissance is blossoming throughout the world.
