AK-The-Big-B&W-Issue

ALLAN KLIGER
What black & white does
I love color. Our world is in
color. I love the sensuality
of the explosion and
depth of color. But, there’s
something special about
black & white that moves
me, that speaks to me. And that’s why I
shoot in black & white.
It’s not any one thing; it’s more how
it all seems to fit together. Whenever
I shoot, I always take two images, one
in Raw and the other, the one on the
back of my digital display, in black &
white. It helps me to see in black &
white, without the distraction of color.
It especially allows me to focus on the
light, the quality and nature of the light,
its direction and how it plays to the
image I wish to take, the image that
I feel without even knowing what it
actually be at the time.
Most who know me would say that
I’m a people person. That probably
explains why I love to shoot people,
portraits. Everywhere. More often than
not in some far away place where I
don’t speak the language. I don’t need
to speak the language. We all connect
at some level, we know what the fight
or flight means. It’s primeval. And so is
knowing when it’s ok. When it’s safe.
We see it someone’s eyes, in their
gesture. I hope people see it in my eyes
as I approach them. I prefer shooting
outside, natural, environmental. I
explore, wonder, that’s part of the
adventure. Looking for the light, for
something elusive, something perhaps
around the corner, an open doorway,
some motion that catches my eye,
beauty, frailty, something real.