I went to the theater today and saw the film All About Eve. The movie stars Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Thelma Ritter, and a very young up-and-coming star known as Marilyn Monroe. The film was made in 1950 and is such a great classic!

So, what does going to see this movie have to do with photography? Well, in a lot of ways it reminds me of how great some movies and photos look in black and white as opposed to being shot in color. All About Eve is a black and white film that needs no color. The performances by the actors add all the color and dimension the film needs. I think color would have been a slight distraction to the quality of the story. The dialog alone was enough to pull you in and not let you go.

Keeping that in mind, there have been many times I’ve made landscape photos that end up looking better in black and white because color tends to distract from the overall feeling of the composition. The texture and contrast of the landscape can really solidify a photo without any color necessary. If you’re ever struggling with developing a photo in Lightroom or Photoshop and aren’t getting the image you desire, always try developing it in black and white. You’ll be surprised how the change can bring a photo to life.

The Annenberg Space for Photography is getting ready for their new exhibit: Generation Wealth. It sounds like an interesting exhibit and I’ll be sure to let you know more about it after I see it. The exhibit opens on April 8, 2017 and will run through August 13, 2017. Below is a photo I took with my iPad the last time I was at the Annenberg. I have to say that I need to learn how to use an iPhone and iPad for photography more. It’s requires a different technique than using a DSLR or mirrorless camera. There’s always something new to learn in photography…

Have a great week everyone!