How a Netflix series reminded me about what I love!
The other evening I was watching Ripley on Netflix. (The Series)
And I realised I wasn’t really following the storyline.
I was studying the light.
It’s completely black and white. Not “desaturated for mood.” Proper black and white!
With deep shadows and controlled highlights. Faces emerging slowly from darkness, beautiful Italian scenes and architecture.
Every frame feels intentional.
It doesn’t feel retro.
It doesn’t feel nostalgic.
It feels deliberate.
And that word stayed with me.
Deliberate.
Because black and white, when it’s done properly, isn’t a filter. It’s a commitment. In the old days of film you had no going back!
It forced you to think about tone, shape, texture and negative space. You can’t lean on colour to create interest. You have to build it with light.
Watching Ripley reminded me how powerful that discipline is.
And it’s made me realise something else.
I’m going to start shooting more black and white again!
Not as an afterthought. Not as “let’s see what it looks like without colour.” But intentionally, seeing in monochrome from the outset. And I’m also going to start encouraging clients to use it more. (Well, try!)
Because when it’s right, black and white cuts through. It feels confident. Timeless. Less trend-led. More about substance.
It won’t suit every brief. But when it does, it can elevate the work immediately.
So over the next few weeks, I’m going to run a Black & White season here on my blog.
We’ll look at:
The craft behind it
The discipline of tonal control
How old darkroom thinking translates into the digital one
And how to shoot specifically for black and white rather than just convert afterwards
This isn’t about presets.
It’s about intention.
Let’s see where it takes us.
Now watch this superb interview with the cinematographer of Ripley discussing how they did it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsFRRF9GtC4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsFRRF9GtC4
