Elegant Black & White Portraits

The Power of Black and White Portraiture © Thomas Bollinger

There is something timeless and ethereal about a beautifully toned black and white print. I learned black and white printing from old men who got their starts during the Great Depression documenting the devastation of the dust bowl and double digit unemployment. The thirties as a time was a dark place with great storm clouds brewing and the black and white photographic image was one of the great tools of mass communication of the era.  Today your most likely to see a black and white print as a historical document or possibly an underwear ad at a museum retrospective. Whatever the photographic content when black and white is used properly the subject becomes iconic and permanent. Like a dear friend a beautiful black and white print never feels old or dated it just seems to become more familiar with age...