Devoid of Color: Black and White Photos

We see the world in color, and, of course, we appreciate the world through the lens of color. But color is not the only factor that makes the world we live in beautiful; shapes and structures also contribute to the world’s beauty. But to be honest, our world would be boring without color.

Photographs, on the other hand, are different. Though color is still essential, sometimes it takes away from the impact of a picture.

When an image is devoid of color, it forces the viewer to consider other beauty aspects such as form. Take, for example, a picture of a flower. We appreciated its shape, intricate folds, and lines when treated in black and white.

There is another advantage to black and white: its timeless nature. Somehow color tends to date an image in that if you look at a color image from the ’70s, it will give you a sense of nostalgia, of a period past. The same image in black and white won’t evoke that feeling. The absence of color will force the viewer to concentrate on the image’s shape, and form, and these aspects are timeless.

Check out these black and white images from Malinga Chirwa. Click here to see other featured work.

Note: all the images are used with permission from the copyright holder Malinga Chirwa