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.

Print Size

As you may or may not know, one print up to 8x10 or 11x14 is included with the basic price of your portrait.

Some people though are looking for portraits that are larger, sometimes a lot larger. If you are interested in something in the range of 16x20 or 20x24 (or yes, even bigger!) don't despair. I offer these too though I am forced to add an additional fee for the costs of a print this size. Call anytime for a price.

The Advantages of a Custom Print

When you get a standard package of prints from a photographer you might receive two 8x10's, a few 5x7's, some wallet-sized prints and so on. But it might very well be that getting the maximum impact from a portrait requires a size and crop that isn't standard at all.

The difference might be quite subtle, but a long, narrow crop works a lot better for this portrait than what you'd get from a cookie-cutter sized 8x10. Other times a more standard 8x10 crop might be just great. It takes judgement and experience to know, and that's why a custom portrait is usually the better choice.