Have you ever thought about how newborn photos would look like in black and white? I don’t often do black and white conversions in my clients’ galleries unless I feel it calls for it, as not every photo would look good converted to black and white. A photo has to have enough depth and different varying shades of light and dark shadows or it will just look flat. To me, a black and white version of a photo tells a totally different story. A photo in color is beautiful and gorgeous and we see everything in color so it is naturally what I am drawn to. However, when that photo is converted to black and white, I feel that it is so different in so many ways.
Newborn photography is all about emotion for me. The entire process is an emotional journey. I create these portraits for all my clients, individually selecting the fabrics, props, and colors after finding out their likes and dislikes. So when I take a photo and it turns out how I envisioned in my head, it is an incredible feeling. I sometimes feel that when I change that particular photo to black and white, I am creating a whole other piece of art as it creates a very different kind of emotion when you look at it.
Classic, timeless, emotive, beauty, all words that come to mind when I design a newborn session. Do you think you could pick? Which would you rather have? The color or the black and white version?
When you look at the newborn photos below, which do you think is better? Which ones make you pause, take a second look?
Please click through to Missy B Photography to see her view on Newborn black and white photography to continue our blog circle.