What about Color?

Tropical Water Lilies, National Botanic Gardens, Kauai

It will come as no surprise to anyone who is familiar with my artwork that I love color. However, when interpreting the landscape as means of self-expression, I think color can be a hindrance in establishing the critical relationship between the seer and the seen that is so very important in transforming an ordinary scene into a work of art.

Gazos Wind (20XX)

I think we are all familiar with the iconic argument about which is better, the book or the movie. The best analogy I have to offer is that black-and-white photography is to the book what color photography is to the movie.

When reading a book, the reader must imagine and imbue the story with their own values, thus creating a personal bridge between the reader and the author’s words. No such demand is placed on a movie viewer, whose characters, locations and moods are carefully scripted to control perception. This is why there are no color Rorschach Blots, and explains, to some degree, the lasting popularity of both film noir and classic B&W photography as they were made to belong to you and your interpretive inner landscape.

Sierran Divide (20xx)

Note to photographers! Not sure which are your most powerful photographs? Use that Saturation slider to remove all the color to see how strong your composition is. This is a great way to strengthen your eye and develop your sense of aesthetics!

Tropical Water Lilies, National Botanic Gardens, Kauai, desaturated