If you’re familiar with Ansel Adams then you know he was an American landscape photographer and environmentalist famous for his black-and-white photographs of the American West. What you may not know is that he also shot photographs in color.
Adams shot in color almost as long as he did in black in white (over thirty-five hundred shots), but he preferred black and white.
I can get — for me — a far greater sense of ‘color’ through a well-planned and executed black-and-white image than I have ever achieved with color photography. — Ansel Adams
An article in The New Yorker about Ansel Adams’ color photography notes:
While he felt comfortable using the medium for his commercial work — a Kodak Colorama of an orange poppy field here or a luscious red begonia for Life magazine there — he found the technical control in color too imprecise and frustrating for his own artistic work. He wrote, ‘I have done no color of consequence for thirty years! I have a problem with color — I cannot adjust to the limited controls of values and colors. With black-and-white I feel free and confident of results.’
Ansel Adams preferred the “constraints” of black and white photography, to better express himself. As a result, he became an iconic photographer and his work is famous.
Despite the invention of color photography and the proliferation of smartphone cameras, many street and artistic photographers prefer to work almost exclusively in black and white.
People like Alan Schaller, And Fuchs, and Olga Karlovac. In a world awash in noise and bright color, these photographers chose the seemingly limited tool of black and white photography. And yet they have thousands of followers who appreciate their eye for design, shape, contrast, and artistic expression.
By limiting their photography to black and white images, these photographers chose a specific niche. There may be fewer photographers working exclusively in black and white, but their fans are loyal and engaged.
Photographer Amanda Ritchie, in a blog post for Londolozi, notes:
I believe that a black and white photograph has a certain quality that colour will never have. By stripping the photograph of colour, your strip away distraction to the eye, and (in many instances) get down to the crux of the story, or uncover a secret moment that colours may have tinted too fiercely.
You have to work at black and white
When I became a landscape painter, I developed an unhealthy fixation with gear. Specifically, I collected and modified paint boxes (also known as Pochade boxes).
I bought the latest commercial paint boxes and built my own. The problem was, every time I went on an outdoor painting trip, I couldn’t decide which paintbox to take. I became paralyzed with indecision.
Also, having the best equipment didn’t mean I would paint better. Great equipment can complement one’s artistic abilities, but first, you have to develop those abilities.
Low budgets force you to be more creative. Sometimes, with too much money, time and equipment, you can over-think. My way, you can use your gut instinct. — Robert Rodriguez
Eventually, I sold all but two, small paint boxes. I discovered minimalism and learned to simplify and declutter my possessions. Being limited to two small paint boxes forced me to focus more on painting instead of gear. As a result, my skills as a painter improved.
Embracing black and white over color is another area where I narrowed my options. I grew up admiring the black and white newspaper cartoons of editorial cartoonists. There was something about the detailed crosshatching and contrast in their work that I found superior to color cartoons.
When I add color to my cartoons, I unwittingly reduce the crosshatching and details. Color becomes a kind of crutch. A quick way to fill in the cartoon. As a result, the cartoons hold less weight. It’s one reason why I prefer drawing cartoons in black and white.
I see this with a lot of cartoons today. They’re loaded with garish color, but light on the detail work. For some, it’s a stylistic choice, but for me, I like cartoon illustrations to have weight to them.
The world is in color, you have to work at black and white. — Andrew Maclean
Working only in black and white may seem like a limitation, but it forces me to add more detail to my cartoons. It takes longer than simply adding color, but I like the result better.
Also, the loose, sketchy details and lack of color sets my work apart. I’ve created my own little cartoon niche. That means I have less competition and can focus on my unique brand and style of cartooning.
I have not abandoned color completely, and have been experimenting with darker color tones to complement my sketchy cartoons. But the elegance and simplicity of black and white images best suit my aesthetic expression.
A delight for the soul
I did the same thing with my photography. By focusing exclusively on black and white, I removed the distraction of color. There’s a certain elegance, sense of antiquity, and contrast in black and white photography that I prefer over color photography.
Color draws more attention, especially in the online world, but choosing to work in black and white sets one’s creative work apart and creates a uniform aesthetic. It seems like a limitation, but it can be a great freedom.
To see in color is a delight for the eye but to see in black and white is a delight for the soul. — Andri Cauldwell
Here are few examples of my black and white photographs taken at home.
The more a person limits himself, the more resourceful he becomes
There’s nothing wrong with color, it’s just that color is everywhere. It’s largely the default online, where everything competes for attention.
Whenever one comes across a photographer or artist who works in black and white or monochrome, it’s interesting. Simple and elegant. The work stands out because it’s not the norm. It whispers intead of shouting.
Consider the painter Charlie Hunter, who crafts primarily tonal, monochromatic paintings. I first encountered his work in a painting magazine. It immediately stood out because it wasn’t exploding with color, like everybody else’s work.
Here’s part of Hunter’s artist statement on his website:
My goal is to paint beautifully that which is not traditionally considered beautiful. Sorta like a less-grotesque Anselm Keifer in a better mood. Using a squeegee helps.
Hunter chooses less traditional subject matter for his landscapes. He captures old buildings, churches, cars, tractors, and lonely roads. His limited, monochromatic palette and unique subject matter have set him apart from other landscape painters. He created his own niche, which has led to sales and recognition.
Another artist who has chosen a limited palette is Robert Kelley. He works primarily in charcoal. His loose, expressive charcoal drawings have weight, contrast, and impact. No need for color.
Robert Kelley’s work stands out on his Instagram page because of its uniform, black and white presentation, bold designs, abstract elements, and lack of color. Kelley sometimes plays with color, but primarily works in black and white. His unique style has won him fans, attention, and workshop attendees.
The more a person limits himself, the more resourceful he becomes. — Soren Kierkegaard
Use constraints to drive creativity
Sometimes we don’t choose our constraints and limitations. Life circumstances, limited resources, or undeveloped skills can appear to hold us back. But then, necessity is often the mother of invention.
Consider Justin Gold of the company Justin’s. He started his company making nut butters with a food processor in his kitchen. He approached several peanut butter manufacturers about growing his business.
He told them about his plan to add honey, maple syrup, and other ingredients to his recipes, but the manufacturers weren’t interested. An article in Entrepreneur.com shares what Justin did next, in his own words:
Instead of buying a $50,000 piece of equipment that everybody else had, I tried to think in terms of food processing. I went out and found the oldest industrial food processors I could find that were way cheaper than a peanut butter mill and got them to work. It’s a bunch of machines that do not belong together. The end result is the perfect peanut butter, and it has to do with being resourceful. It’s amazing how creative you can get when you have to be. Thinking outside the box gave us a completely unique product that our competitors can’t mimic…With everything our company has done, I’m constantly making sure we are not overspending.
Justin sticks with his niche, making only nut butters, nut butter cups, and nut butter protein bars. He keeps it simple, stays with what he knows, and has a thriving business.
According to the author James Clear, “You can use constraints to drive creativity.” Clear wrote a blog post about the “curious writing habit of George R. R. Martin.”
Martin spent many years writing for a living, but not finding great success. The books he wrote were flops, and several of the TV shows he wrote for were canceled. But he refused to give up.
As James Clear explains in his blog post:
Martin is the best-selling author of the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire. The first book in the series, A Game of Thrones, has also been turned into a blockbuster television series on HBO. (The first season of the show was nominated for 13 Emmy awards.) The epic 7-part series that hasn’t even been finished (Martin is currently working on the sixth book), but it has already sold more than 25 million copies.
The interesting part is that Martin writes his books on an antiquated Dos computer running WordStar 4.0. He can’t even send an email with this system.
It’s fascinating that a guy writing on such a limited word processor sells millions of books and created a blockbuster television series. Instead of watching cat videos on YouTube, Martin is busy writing.
James Clear points out that people think they need more to be successful. More contacts, better equipment, the latest productivity hacks. But do they? Clear sums it up:
But maybe what we really need is less. Maybe what we really need are fewer distractions and more focus. Maybe what we really need are a few carefully chosen constraints that narrow our energy onto what really matters rather than compiling a bunch of resources that pull us away from what we actually need to do.
It’s very possible that eliminating distractions, not accumulating resources, is the best way to maximize your potential. Constraints drive creativity. What is the minimum you need to succeed?
Identify your niche and dominate it
Some people try to do it all. They expand their companies, scaling up, hiring more people, and branching out into new products. Some succeed, but most fail. It’s hard to be a jack of all trades, master of none.
Some bloggers try to write about everything under the sun, but no one reads their work. Because it’s too scattershot. Readers want to know what to expect. There are always a few exceptions, but generally, finding a niche is more likely to lead to success.
Identify your niche and dominate it. And when I say dominate, I just mean work harder than anyone else could possibly work at it. — Nate Parker
Think about whatever it is that you are particularly good at. Then explore how best you can share that with the world, and help others to improve. By narrowing your creative and/or business options to a particular niche that you excel in, you’re more likely to succeed.
Don’t overlook the value of self-imposed limitations, too. Like limiting TV and social media time to focus on the work you are most passionate about.
Ansel Adams limited himself to black and white photography, much like I limit myself to mostly black and white cartoons. Less is more.
The artists Charlie Hunter and Robert Kelley embrace a limited, monochromatic palette. As a result, their work stands out with strong contrast, bold designs, interesting textures, and pleasing abstractions.
George R. R. Martin sells millions of books written on antiquated software. In short, narrowing your options can lead to success by forcing you to focus, innovate, and be more creative.
Figure out what your niche is, keep it simple, limit your options to stay focused, and figure out what the minimum is you need to succeed. Do these things, and you might become the next success story for bloggers to write about.
Before you go
I’m John P. Weiss. I draw cartoons, shoot black and white photos, and write about life. Get my free Saturday Newsletter here.
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This post was previously published on Medium.com.
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Artworks by at JohnPWeiss.com