Why Black and White Photographs Are (Sometimes) Better

If you look at Google's home page it's very simple: really just a blank page with a search box in the middle.

The reason for this is that Google understands exactly what service it's providing, namely the best search engine, and anything that's superfluous to that mission has been cut away so only the essentials remain.

The same principle can be applied to a photographic portrait: what's essential is the expression of the human face, a look in the eye, a pose, the line, the light. And all of these essentials are shown in a black and white image, with extraneous information like the colour of a the sky or a shirt cut away.

Of course, when it comes to something like photography no rule is writ in stone, and lots of time colour is not just appropriate but fantastic. So while many people do like the 'classic' black and white or sepia look I always provide a choice so you can decide what suits best.

Always Archival

If a photographic print is 'archival' it's constructed from materials that are appropriate for a museum exhibition. Only certain types of printing processes and paper qualify, and the prints must be mounted on acid-free material.

The advantage is that if properly cared for archival prints should remain in perfect condition for anywhere from eighty to three hundred years. Standard prints can begin to fade in as little as three or four!!

All my prints, of course, are made to archival standards.

Framing

When it comes to home decor many families spend a lot of time and money to get just the look they want. They can be understandably pretty fussy about just what type and style of frame they want hanging on their wall.

For this reason I don't provide framing as part of my normal portrait package though it is available for a reasonable extra fee. The important thing to remember is to always have your portrait framed by someone who uses only true archival materials. If the framing is done through me this will always be the case.

Black and White or Colour?

While many people prefer a classic black and white look for an heirloom portrait, the answer to the question of whether to pick black and white or colour for your portrait is a simple one. It all depends which you like better!

Either way you'll get a print of museum archive quality. And of course you always get to look at a series of proofs before settling on a final choice. The proofs will show a selection of both colour and black and white images so the choice will be that much easier if you're at all undecided.