Monsoon CloudsI was driving between Orccha and Khajuraho, when I saw the rain clouds looming over the trees in the distance.

The infinite space above caught me by surprise, and I had to capture it

I have written a post about this before, but I figured that it is time for me to come back to this topic one more time.

You see, I just finished reading a book called “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek.

Many of us talk a lot about what we do. We speak of the products we sell or the services we provide. We don’t often talk about why we do these things.

Maybe, it is time I asked myself the question – why do I like black & white photography?

Sometimes, I shoot with film. Most of the time, I shoot digitally, in colour and then convert the image to black & white.

It’s too simple to say that I love black & white. I do.

Let me go deeper into the question.

Black & white photography has an element of romance in it. There is a mystery that is unique to this medium. I think that there is a timelessness to monochrome.

Many people believe that the restrictions of black & white limit the possibilities for a photographer to express himself.

There are many shades of grey between black & white. This range creates a spectrum of possibilities that make every image unique and fascinating.

There is, for me, a sense of timelessness in a black & white image. Most people assume that a monochrome image is just an image with blacks, whites and shades of grey.

Black & white images can be toned – sepia, metallic, selenium etc. – to create an entirely different picture with a unique emotional appeal.

Do you like your image to be dark (low key) or light (high key)?

There is an irresistible allure to black & white photography. Everything that I have written contributes to the overall emotional appeal that this medium of photography has for me.

I have attempted to give a rational explanation of why I love this form of photography. It is this deep emotional connection that I have with the medium that drove me back home.