Shooting Both Colour and Monochrome Photography

I love the color portrait, it is awesome, very soft, light is beautifully intimist, we can see a part of the soul from the model. Do a series if you feel like with the same model. And you are right: color is very difficult. But here you are good with color.

print your color photo and enjoy whenever you pass by in your house

Hi Paul, love the video. You've got a way of being humble that the world needs more of. Yet, I can tell you also have no false modesty-- you seem to definitely understand the outstanding talent and skill you have creating monochrome portraits. Maybe that's the source of your hesitancy, that you've become addicted in some way to your status in that regard?

In any case, your one example color shot struck me that there's no mistaking it as yours. Allow me to make an observation that I think is the reason why you can "get away with color" for lack of a better phrase. I'll not state the obvious part (your personal charisma that brings out the subject in ways other people can't, your mastery of the camera gear and post-process, the list could go on...) and just cut right to what I think the key to that photo is (and I suspect you know it as well, tell me if I am right).

While, yes, it's a color photo, I wouldn't say it's a "full" color photo, it's like it's as close to monochrome as a color photo can get and still be color. You controlled the light (at the shoot or in post or both) in such a way that my brain reacts to it as if it were a monochrome photo you colorized carefully in a very artistic way. The way her eye color seems to match perfectly with the wall. Her hair and skin tone matches perfectly with the light reflecting off the wall. No, it's not monochrome, but it's hardly more than a 2 color photo really (the pink of her lips notwithstanding). This, I think, is the reason it's immediately identifiable as a Paul Reid photograph, more than any other single factor.

And, for what it's worth, the color version is much more pleasing to look at and explore visually than the monochrome version of the same photo you showed (though I think you perhaps hadn't worked on that version all the magic you do with your other monochrome photos).

Hi Paul! Can't wait to to see the new Issue of B&W Photography with your cover! I am always torn in my work, If it would be only for me I think I could stick to B&W only, not ready to settle yet :) Keep doing the great work, and good luck!

I recently had a similar dilemma. I’m a b&w photographer and have a certain contrasty, moody look that I like. I took a photo of this local mosque which didn’t have a lot of contrast when converted to b&w but I managed to do something with it anyway. I found the colour version looked really good but as I’m not a colour photographer I have the same dilemma of what to do with it. I did upload the b&w version to Instagram though. I don’t particularly want to go down the rabbit hole of colour as I’ve always struggled with it and simply love composing photos with b&w in mind.

We have a saying in America, “Only Nixon could go to China.” Your mastery of monochrome makes you uniquely qualified to dabble in color from time to time.

You have developed a very distinctive black and white style, so I think you could also develop a very distinctive color style. Although with all due respect, I do not think the color portrait which you show is it -- needs more impact like your B&W images

Paul, keep one folder for "THE colour photos"; you'll have some others over time. Let the folder live its own life. ;-)
One day you'll have enough for a set or book; "Colours over time"

Sorry to be blunt, but I’m old and so have less time to piss about with words. Firstly, you are a photographer, a person who records life so that the rest of us can see moments that we would never see. If you, as the photographer, feel that it should be monochrome, then publish it as such. If you feel it should be colour, then you should publish it as colour, with no apologies. I ask you, given the fucked up state of the world, do we really need talented photographers like you anguishing about “categories” or “projects”. Take the photo. If it’s good, publish it as you feel it should be. Stop fucking about with
unimportant issues. The world needs truth and a reason to believe in the future. Please don’t be just another photographer trapped in worries about ‘genres’.

Colour photographs are not a virulent disease. If you have accidentally taken a good colour photograph, this does not compromise the value and the existence of your black and white photographs. Print the image in colour as best you can, frame it, hang it opposite the top step where you go to bed at night and one day you'll wake up, run down the stairs because you know what you want to do with it. - I love your work and the way you explain images in the videos and at the same time self-critically analyse them and yourself. 🖤🤍

You are overthinking it IMO

grazie

I've got no way to print color photos so I stick to black and white.

I mostly shoot bw street portraits hence why I admire your work and look into it. That being said... Some portraits SCREAM for color, and I find that perfectly fine.

So, I have a handful of color portraits. I definitely have more Black and white ones. I usually make darn sure the color ones need the color, perhaps in the future when I've amassed a significant amount of color portraits I'll do something with them (I haven't done anything with the BW ones yet either). But it's good, I think, just save these little things that can be the seed to a potential thing in the future.

One color portrait ain't much, but next time you're out and you see color working better than tones, you can take the picture, and suddenly they'll be two. And the some months might go by until you find a third, and then a fourth, and so on. Until someday you'll have a body of work.

Like you said, about people liking your photography because of your connection, the way you interact with people, etc, and thus we don't mind film vs digital (understanding that each medium should be presented by itself), well, the same is still true about color, understanding that it'd probably should be eventually presented by itself!

Please don't stop experimenting!

Congrats on the full page spread in LFI International! Not an easy task. Quite an accomplishment.

Some photos don't work in colour, as the colours can distract the viewer from the subject. Other photos would be a bit "mehhh" in B&W and the colours just makes it pop. The colour portrait you showed is a great example of where the colour in the face and hair makes the person stand out from the dark, colourless background (BTW, I think it's an excellent portrait). Personally, I shoot in both, as there would be a lot of good photos I'd be missing if I only stuck to one or the other. I know people like to focus on developing a particular style, but a good photo is a good photo, no matter what. Maybe you can keep your eyes open for those photos that work better in color and once you've developed a good portfolio of these you could try issuing a colour book?? I find that trying something new can be both challenging and enjoyable.

I love b&w photography but I'm a huge Saul Leiter or Ernst Haas fan and you're right what matters is your images and style although b&w adds some sense of essential in my opinion. By the way I received your book and I love it, congratulations 👍 Cheers

Aa for the color portrait it's simply great and I wouldn't mind buying a full book of yours with other color portraits like this one. If you don't mind my saying don't be afraid and follow your bliss 😉 Cheers

The thing about this portrait is that it is desaturated to the point of almost being monochrome. Your ability to see in monochrome shines through here. I think it's a great portrait and you should do more of these.

Picasso didn't worry about it. He did what felt right. When I left film for digital. I switched to shooting all color with an APS Sensor. That's all my professional portraits and headshot's. And landscapes and street photography. Lately, since switching to full frame. I find my camera's and lenses are to bulky for just walking around and have been using just my phone as a walk around camera. What works, works.

It sounds to me like you are spending too much time in your own head - it's meant to be fun, shoot what makes you happy

agree.... your talent needs to focus.... maybe do a series of color shots of all different hair styles... the portrait in question has beautiful hair rendition and I know people spend lots of money at the hair dresser/stylist shop.....I'm sure each individual who has their hair done has a purpose for their own inner satisfaction. You could reflect that with your color photos.

👍👍🎶🎶🎵🎵🎥🎥📷📷🎞🎞❤❤B&W,ceci dit votre portrait couleur est d'une immense beauté ❤❤
Je shoote 95% B&W !!! ❤❤

That was very interesting thank you. The colour image is great and, importantly, it still looks like a Paul Reid. You're a professional photographer; why shouldn't you shoot colour? It's Paul Reid colour; subtle, understated and subdued. I don't think your following are going to worry about it. We know that b&w is your primary focus but why not give colour a go?

Thanks to your photography, I have now bought a Leica M. Monochrome is entirely different ball game and so satisfying. I find your photography so inspiring

A lovely subtle colour portrait. Seems to me you’ve just started a new project, experiments with colour portraits 😊

Photography is not to win competitions, but to show emotions and feelings. So stop crying and think about what to say. Very bad chatter.

It’s a great colour portrait. It’s softer than your usual mono style. However, it’s nearly monochrome in its look. I’ve seen a number of “monochrome” photographers who are making photographs that are predominantly shades of a single colour. It’s not black and white, but it’s very close to monochrome.

Dear Paul, I love your work. Not because it's black and white, but because you take me by the hand and show me the world through your eyes. Photography is communication and I'm super interested in what you have to say. You shooting in colour is as if you'd say: "Have you ever thought about that?" I'd feel left out if you didn't share those "experiments". They are still seen through your eyes, convey your voice, your thoughts. So please keep sharing!

my honest opinion, both are very nice shot. Anyway, I was thinking in these days the same...what is a good photo? how can we define it? everyone of us has is one idea/opinion about it. Someone could argue just BN or just colour for instance, and so on. I think that 90% of the time is the composition, the subject. 10% is about color/BN...I make a concrete exemple, I shoot just BN, however I also appreciate photographers that shoot in color, like Todd Hido. Well I photographed some of Hido's work, and I converted in BN...and the photos where amazing. So, in conclusion, I think that everything is a personal choice, what one thing or another give you "emotions"...I shoot, as said, BN...sometimes I keep the color, but after a some week I convert to BN...Also mentally when I look at an image with color, like Hido, Webb, and other I think how it looks like in BN...

Both, the B&W and Color versions of that portrait are truly beautiful, but o man that color version looks awesome.

Make what you love, not only because your public wants it.

Hello, Paul. For most it is a challenge to photograph in black and white. For you, it may be a task to express you in color. I trust you in full. And you won't lose a follower. Greetings, Peter

Agreed, actually color is harder, I have it the same. There are more things that need to come together. But when they come its special.