‘So much on my mind, that I can’t recline..
Blastin’ holes in the night ‘til she bled sunshine//
Breath in…inhale vapors from bright stars that shine..
Breath out…weed smoke retrace the skyline//’ - Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common
I enjoy this type of work. I also enjoy exploring color scenes. I can show the full breadth of the city with these in ways that black and white cannot.
Interestingly, the great photographer Ted Grant said, “When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. When you photograph people in black and white, you photograph their soul!”. Humbly, I disagree; I think this is specific to taking pictures of people. Street photography is NOT only about people. This is the truth about my type of work. As with most crafts, the craft has evolved as we have moved farther and farther away from its origins. I would argue that this is a good thing. Street photography had to develop, and with each new technological advance, the art evolves, and the cycle continues.
In the context of my images, I don’t think that black and white would have given these scenes their true expressive capability. Without the context of color in these scenes, the viewer would not ‘feel’ the city. There is a particular living element that a city gives off. Some people on social media call this ‘mood.’ Regardless, these scenes in monochrome would only show light and shadow. The ‘feeling’ would be lost. This concept is somewhat hard to describe in words.
Every day I am wrestling with words, ideas, and concepts to bring my work further. But, ultimately, I don’t just want to be a part of the photography community; I want to have contributed something new to the craft.
What do you think? Should I continue exploring in this way? Am I right about the evolution of the craft?
I applied Color EFEX pro for editing these and used the Kodakchrome 64 simulation. These were also shot with a Tiffen Black Pro-Mist filter on a 28mm lens….review of that filter and lens is coming soon.
If you read this far, thanks for all the support.
-Maurice