Simplifying Portraiture

I’ve been in a black and white picture-making mood lately.  This need to “go dark” emerged during my earlier black and white portrait experiments and has stuck with me stylistically since then.

A lighting instructor once taught me that shooting a subject against a black background was cheating because it was too easy of a thing to do and doesn’t challenge you creatively.

I disagree.  I like to strip the background of all distractions so that my subjects become the center of attention.  I want their expressions and emotions to fill the image.  I don’t want their faces to compete with any other element in the photo.  It actually forces me to work harder to create a classic, timeless portrait that is both beautiful and meaningful.