One Week Only Black & White

Sticking to one of my many goals for 2025, I wanted to spend an entire week shooting only in Black & White. With out really any kind of goal in mind I just wanted to try it.

One thing I have done with this is I have also paired the PolarPro Shortstache Everyday Filter which I have not used much in about a year.

I think that I need to try ands shoot more with this in color again and give it another chance.

It adds a really nice softness to the Black & Whites that in color just looks like smudging, I also just don’t understand how to edit it in color. I think that from when I had this idea to now it has turned into something different. The idea of it was to focus more on the subject and not so much on the processing. Sometimes when I am shooting I am doing both and seeing in real time how I might want to process something takes away from the main focus of the subject I am shooting.

I think now speaking what I have done is kind of created a cleanse of processing the photos afterwards. I make myself shoot a lot, try different settings, different situations, and I am constantly wanting to learn more when it comes to color grading photos. The issue with that though is coloring/processing because stagnate and I start to feel desensitized to my photos feeling like everything I am shooting is just pure shit.

Black & White has also made it so much easier pushing my photos while editing. I can really push the exposure and shadows, I think I will give more of that credit to this preset I have created because the added grain takes all of the noise out of the photo so it has added ‘‘character’’ instead of smearing shit on shit. It’s been pretty nice, however some aspects that do stink are things like getting beautiful colors in a photo and not being able to show them.

Perfect example. You don’t see the beautiful mint’ish green light pole, the reds flowers in the bush, the blue tint of the sky.

What you do see though is a very unique light pole, covered in invasive vines and just a single cloud peaking in the background. You just see the different contrast around the subject of the photo which is the light pole.

It has been a lot of fun doing this though, as of writing this section I am on day 4 of 7, I didn’t shoot anything today though. I haven’t been going out of my way to shoot things so I am not shooting to just shoot.

It is now day 7, I have not shot much in the last few days, honestly today and yesterday I haven’t shot anything at all. nothing has been very interesting to shoot. Currently at work and having issues with trying to upload photos to this blog so unless I can get it connecting correctly it might be later tonight before this is actually posted.

I make that comment like anyone is anticipating reading this, unless it is texted to someone and shoved down their throat it won’t be seen. Back on topic of shooting all Black & White for a week now that I am essentially done with the process I feel very content and happy about it. The experience of doing this and ‘‘limiting’’ myself it also created a very creative turn in a project of mine and that will be in a different blog on its own. BUT.. I think the timing and the way everything has worked out this was perfect.

So during this week I had the idea to create business brochures and skim away from using cards. Cards are basic, you can’t do much with them other than hey here is a card. I have tried it, it’s not impressive. It’s still not done, but the idea and layout is close. I was in a creative block when I realized I wanted the entire ‘‘inside’’ of the brochure to be Black & White.

The folds aren’t accurate for this type of brochure but it gives at least a ‘‘physical’’ placement idea.

So, shooting in all Black & White for the last week really created this design idea. Having the outside of the brochure be colorful and pulling attention to it, once you open it you’re pulled into paying more attention to each photo and detail. Anyways I will have a blog on its own of creating this and my idea and thought process on why I did some things a certain way.

This was fun, but I don’t think I will do it again for a full week. I have wanted to do full Black & White sessions and probably should have tried planning something like that for this week. Who plans things out anyways.. I did at least get to shoot some night time/early morning dark photos though at least. I show the skatepark around 4:30am because I wanted to get some setup shots with a roll of Kodak Gold 200 in the Canon AE-1 Program which again will be a blog for another time.

I think that kinda finishes this up. I don’t really have much more to add to what has already been said. I think that really sums up the entire things.

I know I need to take the time and update the Black & White portfolio section.

Thank you for reading.