The Magic Of Colour - Why I Don't Limit Myself To Just Balck & White Photography

Taken during one of my workshops in the Soho area

I frequently receive this question. Since I began taking photographs, the majority of my work has been in black and white, with only a limited number of images in colour. Black and white offers a timeless elegance, highlighting the core of a scene, genuine emotion, and the delicate interplay of light and shadow.

A long time ago, I started looking deeper at colour and exploring its potential. My uncle, who was a hobbyist photographer, taught me about compositions, colour combinations, and contrast. His lessons have now influenced how I approach photography today.

Taken during a workshop along the South Bank

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Now, I experiment with shades, contrasts, and colour combinations, discovering how colour can add a new look and feel to my images.

Photography is not just a choice between black-and-white and colour. It’s about selecting the right language for each image to express its emotions and what I want to communicate to the viewer. It is an ongoing learning experience, a journey where each frame contributes a new element to the overall image.

I realised that by sticking to black and white, I was restricting myself, thinking it better captured emotion or atmosphere. Yet, colour was a crucial element for my development as a photographer. Some moments and images lose their impact in monochrome because colours provide depth, vibrancy, and a different sort of context. Embracing colour enables me as a photographer to explore new creative possibilities, turning a simple photograph into a vibrant storytelling piece of art.

Street photography, to me, is about seizing genuine and lively moments. I love exploring and playing with colours to add depth to my images. Each colour narrates a story, enabling me to capture distinctive moments rich with life and emotion.

I find inspiration in a diverse range of sources and influences. Artists like Van Gogh have taught me to appreciate the balance between warm and cool colours, while well-crafted films show how to effectively use chromatics. Each of these influences contributes to my development. I learned the art of blending colours from two esteemed photographers, Joel Meyerowitz and Saul Leiter, whom I study with great admiration and focus. Colour photography offers an opportunity to explore the world in its vivid hues, contrasting with black and white while maintaining the same foundational contrasts. Every walk down the street becomes a source of inspiration, a chance to observe and uniquely combine colours in a personal way.