Black & White: One Month Without Color

This month has been incredibly eventful and impactful. I have learned new skills. I have made changes. I switched cameras...

Lets get into it.

(BTW I am going to start having my "Picture of The Month" be the first photo of each post. So enjoy Mirrored, probably one of my favorite photos I have taken in a while.)

So lets focus on the photo series before we get into the updates.

Lately, I have been on the trend of finding growth in my photography by limiting myself creatively. By forcing myself to develop new skills with what I have given myself, that way I can strengthen my ability, rather than depend on gear/environment. Last month I limited myself to one focal length, one perspective. This month, I took away color.

One of the first things I learned when doing this challenge is how much I depend on color to be a subject itself in my photos. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, as long as you are aware that you are doing this, and that it strengthens the photo. The problem was that I wasn't aware, and because I was not aware, I have no idea if it strengthened my past photos, or weakened them.

Shooting in Black & White made me pay attention to light more. I was forced to find natural contrast in the light, and to find shapes within my shadows to enhance my compositions. This was a really fun skill to learn.

(The three previous photos were taken on a photo walk while filming some footage for my first YouTube video. More on that development in just a moment.)

Black and White photography helped me focus more on the subjects. In a way, I "felt" my photographs more. I was making more intentional choices, I was connecting more with my craft.

I could go on about this subject for a while, and a maybe I will in a future blog, but let me get to the updates.

(The next few images were taken a photo walk hosted by Bedford Camera and the Oklahoma Contemporary. Thank you for hosting this event!)

First update: I started a YouTube channel. I know, I am just another drop in the bucket, but I am viewing it as an extension of this, as an extension of my photography. I want to film my photographic journey so I can document my growth. I also like the idea of teaching photography and want to do that in the future as a career, so I thought I could start practicing now.

All that to say, I started. I know it is not perfect, and I know that it will never be. It took a while for me to build the courage to do this. Heck, I was a nervous wreck filming that first video, I must have had over 60 takes (unfortunately not exaggerating). I may see all the anxieties it gave me, but I can also see that I started, and now all I have to do is get better.

A friend told me it is easier to start something and get better over time, rather than trying to perfect something and risk it never starting at all. That note goes out to all of you as well. If you all have been wanting to start something, just do it. Start sucking now, so you will suck less in the future.

Update 2: This is a small update, but worth mentioning, even if it's just to archive some photographic progress haha. I have been practicing product photography a bit more seriously.

I have been doing more media work for my 9-5, and I have been quite proud of it. I got a small product studio that I can put up or tear down in my small apartment, and it's been a lot of fun messing with lighting and such. It is a challenge navigating my limited space since I am in an apartment, but it's a fun challenge. I don't want to include any of those images here, that way the photo series can remain unified, but keep a look out for a future blog post

(I plan on utilizing my blog a lot more, we will see how that goes.)

The BIG Update: Saved the best for last. I switched camera systems... (*Cue thunder and organ playing)

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I know, I know, it probably isn't THAT dramatic, but it is still a big deal to me, even when it probably shouldn't be. I am switching from the Sony full frame mirrorless system to the Fujifilm mirrorless system. They are a bit different when it comes to the tech side of things, but let me explain why I made this jump, why it is impactful to me, and why it shouldn't be impactful.

So why did I switch? Mainly due to how I felt while making pictures. 

The Sony felt more like a lifeless tool where as the Fuji felt more like an extension of myself. I can go into a lot more detail, and I want to, but I don't want this email to go on for too long, and I also want to utilize that blog a bit more. I will send out an update when I get all these blogs online ;)

This switch felt impactful, but maybe it shouldn't have. It felt impactful because I started with Sony, and stayed with them. I got comfortable, which ended up making my photos lazy and uninspired. I needed a change, but I was scared of it. I was scared of the spec difference, of having to learn a new system, there were so many anxieties that almost kept me from making this move, despite it being the one I NEEDED to make.

Although I had many anxieties going into this, I look back seeing that it shouldn't have impacted me as much.

I am the photographer. If I can't make as good of an image with a different camera, what does that say about my ability to make pictures as a whole? I should be able to make good images no matter what camera I am using. I should never solely depend on a specific camera, rather I should use one I am comfortable with and can connect with. The Fuji system I can connect with. Sure, I have to learn the ins and outs of the technical sides like I did with the Sony, but my photos will be just as good, if not better because I am more involved, more connected with my craft.

All the photo series were taken with a Fuji camera. I hope at least one of the photos made you feel something :)

Thank you for reading this far if you did. 

This photo series taught me a lot. I am more confident in finding composition with shape and light rather than depending on color. I have made some changes with starting my YouTube Channel, exploring product photography, and completely changing camera systems. All of this makes me excited. I am nervous about some of these endeavors, but that just means I am doing something that actually has meaning to it. That is important to me. Thank you for witnessing this journey, I hope it is entertaining / educational / whatever you need it to be for you. All I can do is keep sharing my experiences, and hopefully someone will get something from it :)

Till next time.