About Black and White

Composition is the art of arranging in a decorative manner the various elements which the painter
uses to express his sentiments. In a picture every separate part will be visible and... everything
which has no utility in the picture is for that reason harmful.
Henri Matisse
1 - Introduction
This is the second essay in this series focused on my approach to photography.  The first essay, titled My Philosophy, was published in the previous issue of this magazine.  This second essay covers my reasons for using black and white instead of color.  It covers other things as well, including my thoughts on color and on monochromatic images.
2 - Using black and white instead of color
Black and white allows you to create stunning images when doing so would not be possible with color and impress everyone who works only in color in the process. In other words, black and white succeeds where color fails.  This is the case at mid-day when the light is vertical, for example, or when the colors are not ...