Black and white or colour? When to choose which in portrait photography

Almost all my PAUSE portraits are black and white. That is not a coincidence and not a trend. It is a deliberate choice I make again at every session, and sometimes I make an exception.

Here is how I think about it.

What colour does

Colour tells you context. Someone’s red coat, the blue wall, the warm light of the evening sun. Colour places someone in surroundings and sets a mood. For lifestyle photography, branding photography, family photos, colour works beautifully.

But colour also distracts. If someone is wearing a striking shirt, you look at that before you look at their eyes. And in portrait photography I want you to look at the eyes.

What black and white does

Black and white takes every distraction away. There is only light, shadow and the person. Texture becomes stronger. Expression becomes more visible. A portrait in black and white asks more of the viewer but gives more back.

That is why I choose black and white for PAUSE. The sessions are about who someone is, not about what the studio looks like or what they happened to wear that day. The black and white is a deliberate limitation, so that there is more to see.

When do I choose colour after all?

Sometimes colour suits the person better. Someone whose identity is partly expressed through clothing or surroundings I sometimes photograph in colour. But that is the exception.

For headshots the balance is different. For LinkedIn or business websites colour often works better because it is more approachable and looks more professional in a company context.

My advice if you are unsure

Go for black and white. Black and white does not date. A portrait from 1985 in black and white still looks good today.

That same portrait in colour smells of the eighties.

➡See my PAUSE portraits: black and white portrait photography in Wijchen
➡ Looking for a headshot in colour? See the options here