Black and White or colour ?

After looking into the connotations of Black and White photography I found that many people seem to think that monochrome adds a historical feeling but others feel that colour can be distracting when the photographer is trying to focus on showing the light and shadows. Monochrome can also be used to draw attention to details that may have been lost inside a colour photograph or print.

The world as we see it is in colour which makes me think that black and white has a lonely and sad connotation because of the lack of colours.

Colour photographs are seen as contemporary because when photography first started everything was printed in black and white because of the technology available. Colour is still relatively new within photography so many people feel like this shows new and modern images.

Colour photography can be used to both extremes of making the colours bounce and pop so that the world seems happier and brighter yet can also be used to make the colours dull and look desaturated.


For where I wanted to go with my idea originally the black and white would have given the photographs a dark upsetting atmosphere which would have played on the viewers emotions, however with changing my idea I think colour photography will create a happy and playful atmosphere.

Shoot three

I have taken another shoot of some of my neighbours children, however the parents asked me if I would not put them online.

I took images of the two brothers and sister playing together on their trampoline and outside their house.

I think the shoot went good however I feel it could have been better because the girl was very nervous infront of the camera and would stop to smile for the camera instead of playing, I think this is because I have not photographed them before and she felt nervous around me.

Another one of the neighbours children who was playing with the others did not wish to be photographed so many photographs have her only slightly in the background.

Home Studio Shoot - evaluation

So I took a studio flash light home over the weekend so I could try studio style lighting in a natural setting (taking a three year old on a long train journey and photographing him in the studio seemed like a bad idea at the time - so why not take the studio home with me!)


However trying to ask him to pose for me was difficult as he was more interested in playing than being photographed (I expected nothing else) so I continued photographing him while he was playing and decided I liked those ones better than what I had intended to do.

So I am going to change my idea and photograph children while they are playing and not focusing on me, I prefer photographs like this as they look more natural and the child is relaxed.

Damian McGillicuddy

While reading Master Photography I came across an article about the photographer Damian McGillicuddy, one of the images in the magazine caught my eye (top image) and while looking into his work I found his blog (Here) and found the other images shown here.

Diane Arbus

Diane Arbus, A Child Crying, New Jersey, 1967

Diane Arbus, Child in a Night Gown, Shelter Island, New York, 1957

Diane Arbus, Child with a Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, New York, 1962

Sally Mann

Sally Mann, Candy Cigarette, from series Immediate Family, 1989

Sally Mann, Damaged Child, 1984

Sally Mann, Naptime, 1989

Sally Mann, Night Blooming Cereus, 1988

So ... Model Release Forms ?

After talking with my tutor about my idea he suggested I go into a local nursery and photograph the children against a plain wall.

I am thinking about going with this idea however I do not know how to create Model Release forms or to create a form so that the nursery can see my idea and give me permission to photograph inside.

I looked at the book "AOP Beyond the Lens" as in the back they have examples of model release forms for both adults and minors. I feel the language they have used to too technical and many of the parents would not understand the form so they would not give me permission. This means I am going to be creating my own form, only I have no idea how to do this.

Examples from AOP :

Standard Release Form

Adult Release Form (short)

Adult Release Form (long)

Minor Release Form (short)

Minor Release Form (long)