Deciding whether to produce a photograph in black and white or color all depends upon the message I’m trying to convey. When an image is in black and white, the shadows intensify and the picture becomes darker—both literally and figuratively. An almost mysterious filter is added when I take away color, one that makes the viewer more engaged by accentuating everything from a subject’s face shape to her wrinkles.
A color portrait tells a completely different story. From my subject’s distinct hues, the viewer can better intuit what she is feeling. Are her cheeks red from crying? Is her hair a rainbow of different colors, signaling her underlying indecision? In color, a backstory can emerge, evoking in the viewer an array of complicated feelings. That’s why, for instance, I chose to shoot Rivo in color—her multicolored hair pops, and the intricate details of her sea animal tattoos suggest her passion for marine life.