The paused moments: Why black and white

I used to think black and white is a dull form of photography.

Why people still shoot in black and white when you can use color in photography?

Colors is energetic, optimistic and bright,

while Black and White is flat, traditional and bored.

However, i remember i went to an photo exhibition of Bettina Rheims in Hong Kong in 2011,

and she has changed my mind ever.

It was called Rose, C'est Paris and exhibited in the festival of French May in Hong Kong.

The series of photos was shot in 2009

and it is actually a collaboration with another photographer Serge Bramly.

I stayed in the exhibition for 2 hours and did not want to leave,

have been struggling of buying the photographic book or not

(because it was quite expensive, it costs around 48 pounds).

I hadn't think of how powerful and graceful that black and white could empower on photos before.

The nude bodies, gesture of women in pictures were all given me strong feeling

that i could not even use words to describe.

I was totally speechless and stunned in front of the photos.

I used to hate Surrealism especially the painting.

I just don't get the deep meanings or the layers behind.

But this series of surrealist photos which about confused identities, manipulation,

obsession, fetish, desire of love and sex, from a journey in Paris of a woman called Rose,

just completely blow me away.

Since then, i realized that actually black and white is a form

to give or empower an unusual feeling into the photo,

to enlarge the object, especially the person inside,

giving him or her a dramatic effect

which color photos cannot give/ empower.

Here are some of my favorite selections of the series:

(All taken in 2009)

The Death of Bird

粉紅人生

(I only recorded the Chinese name of the photo)

Paris Killed Me

(Forgot to mark the name)

Chef's surprise

Sacred heart

More photos:

So far, it is my favorite and best photo exhibition i have seen.

More about the photographer:

The paused moments