Working in Black and White

 
     Fruita Flats, Co.

I recently made a trip to Utah and came away with a few new images to work on.  As I review my images in Lightroom, I realize how much I appreciate the days I worked with film and the darkroom process.  Working primarily as a black and white photographer, it requires me to pre visualize, as best as I can, the scene as the finished print while in the field.  When working with Black and White film the process is made easier because the only time I have to deal with color is at the time of exposure.  With the digital process there is a disconnect of what I visualized in the field and what is viewed on my computer screen, because of the RAW image being in color.  It can be a bit more challenging to bring out the initial emotional response I had to the subject in the finished print.  It has been my experience that the film/darkroom process is easier at the start and gets more difficult working towards the finished print. The digital process works in the opposite direction by being more difficult starting with a fuzzy. faded, RAW file that is in color, and then gets easier by utilizing the accurate controls offered by photo software.  For me personally, I try to maintain the thought process I used with Black and White film and apply as much of it as I can to my digital imaging work flow to achive my desired final image.  As photography progresses we will be faced with new equipment and ways we deal with our images.  During these changes we tend to get focused on how we photograph and the equipment we use, rather than the reason why we are inspired to photograph and create.