The Beauty of Monotone

About 10 years ago, I started taking photographs using black and white film, and I instantly fell in love with it. Although with the present technology, we can simply convert the colours in a picture afterwards, I prefer the authenticity of original black and white photographer.

Black and white wedding pictures are quite rare in Hong Kong, and I think one reason why is because it is much more difficult than taking a simple coloured photograph. Since there are only black, white and gray dimensions, lighting becomes even more important or else the features in the picture won’t pop.

One piece of advice I have for couples who are thinking about taking black and white wedding photographs, is that the make up and outfits should be kept simple, so that the focus would be on the message and feeling the whole picture conveys.

Another reason why many people may not prefer black and white photographs is because they may find it depressing and goes against our preconceptions of what wedding pictures should be like. Indeed, in many Chinese weddings, colour is an important traditional feature, such as red and gold which symbolize good fortune. However, I believe if certain pictures are captured in black and white, such as a bride in a wedding gown, it can bring out a different kind of simple yet artistic beauty.