Colour or black and white photography - which is best?

Although photography has been an industry more than 200 years, colour is only a recent addition with technology first emerging in the 1840s.

Across society, there are many age-old debates - cats and dogs, summer and winter or even Queensland and New South Wales. In the world of photography, there is an ongoing discussion between colour and black and white imagery.

Of course, unlike other debates, there was only one option for a long time. Although photography has been an industry for over 200 years, colour is only a recent addition with technology first emerging in the 1840s. In fact, during the early stages, most professional photographers chose to remain snapping in black and white as there was limited demand for this type of photo - how times have changed!

Modern photographers have the choice of both - each holding unique benefits and traits to add value to the end product. At PhotoKing, we specialise in both techniques and can help photographers enhance their client's images out of sight. While we don't have a preference, it's vital to understand the benefits of both colour and black and white photography.

Why colour photography?

Colour allows an image to pop from the page.

Transport yourself to the 19th century. Imagine you had just seen a colour photo for the first time - how amazing it would have looked? The way the bright hues highlight a subject and catch your eye, the beauty that colours adds to the context - warmth, cold, relationships, moods and emotions. Colour paints a picture, literally, and as a society we wouldn't have it any other way.

One of the reasons why colour isn't as striking anymore is that we are simply used to it. Colour photography is all around us which highlights the importance of considering alternative methods to add value to the photo - one option being the array of printing types available at PhotoKing.

Using colour in photography is the norm, but by applying innovative techniques, investing in new technology and being creative - colour images can pop off the canvas or paper and create lasting memories for the audience.

Why black and white photography?

Create depth and emotions with black and white photography.

As the world of photography has developed so has the trend back towards black and white photos. As a stark point of difference compared to colour, there is great value to offering your clients black and white finishes.

Black and white photography is essentially timeless as it is harder to pinpoint the date based on regular visual cues such as weather, nature, clothing and the general environment. However, this doesn't mean the photo is any less striking. In fact, this brings elements such as light, shadows and brightness to the fore - creating a new level of depth and emotion.

It is important to remember that our world is colour and everywhere we look it catches our eyes - the bright, blue sky, golden sun or even the colour of cars. As such, when we see a black and white photo, it makes us think and look closely at the detail. We pause and are drawn into what the photo means and what it represents.

Of course, with black and white photos, modern editing tools can make the look even more impressive. Bump up key elements in post-production such as contrast, flat light and exposure while adding stylistic effects like vignette and watch black and white photos come to life - expressing different moods and emotions.

Which is best?

The beauty of this question is that there is no right answer - photography is a creative art and it's up to you to make the most of either colour or black and white photography, or both. Of course, whichever you decide, you can trust that the expert team at PhotoKing is available to help produce outstanding images for your audience.

For more information, get in contact with our team today.