My last blog post was called "The Power of Color" and showed pictures that truly is best in color. Today I want to show some great black and white images by some amazing photographers. I will only make a few short comments since I think these images clearly shows the power of black and white, not better then color but each style and technique have it's time in photography. I often say, enjoy the difference to people thats going to travel, or about food and also photography. Hope you will enjoy the master pieces with links in this post.

Lo Olschner, Hamburg, 1954 Photographer: F.C. Gundlach Ocelot coat by Berger

I think black and white sometimes is the perfect retouch tool and take away things in color in the picture that will fight for attention. It gives it a great peaceful feeling. This image is from 1954 and I do not think black and white has gotten any better over time.

I think Herb Ritts is one of the greatest photographers of our time. It was so sad when he died in 2002.He was only 50 and died of complications from pneumonia. One of the high lights to me was to see a whole exhibition of beautiful black and whites photographed in Africa. I find black and white very powerful in graphic images like this one.

One of the greatest photographers today is London based Norwegian photographer Solve Sundsbo (age 42) an extreemly talented photographer with a great ability to choose color vs black and white at the rigth time. Here is a link to tons of his work in Google images.

I love this image by Arnold Newman of Igor Stravinsky, New York, 1946 Many years ago I was fortunate to spend some time with Arnold Newman and his wife. They invited me to come and visit them in New York, but sadly enough he died before I was in New York the next time. An amazing photographer with a great heart and love for our profession and so willing to shear. RIP Arnold Newman.

I miss Irving Penn so much, what a master of B/W! Penn did 158 covers for Vogue, yes it is right One Five Eight which of course had a great influence on photography. I'm posting my all time favorite cover. It's the Vogue April 1950 issue, model is his swedish born wife Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn who he married the same year.

Amazing Black and White Modern Architecture Photography - Wajid Drabu

I want to finish this blog post with a great modern image by Wajid Drabu. This image would never been as powerful in color with all the colors it would contain.

We are fortunate to live in a time where we can deside after we shoot if color or black and white works best. Digital is great but I love good film shots in black and white printed on great silver based paper.

It is so many more great photographers I should have shown work from in this post, photographers like Richard Avedon, George Hurrell, Karl Lagerfeld etc etc. If you click on thier names in this paragraph it will take you to previous blogs I have done on them.

PS. ALWAYS remember english is my second language so bear with me :-)

Karl Lagerfeld (born September 10, 1933 in Hamburg) is a fashion designer, artist and photographer based in Paris. Here we have another super talent performing at his best at the age of 78!!!! All his pictures that I am blogging today are from 2011/2012 campaigns. You can be a great photographer as long as you live, I hope. Think about Irving Penn, George Hurell, Richard Avedon, etc.

"Karl Lagerfeld started designing in the 1950s but it is only much later that he tried his hand at photography. Legend has it that, dissatisfied with submissions from agencies, Lagerfeld was challenged to shoot the 1987 press release by Eric Pfrunder, Chanel’s image director. The designer of Chanel’s fashion collections has since then doubled as the man behind the lens for Chanel ads and corporate images. Lagerfeld admits that photography plays a major role in his life; .....“I cannot see life without the vision of a photographer anymore. I see the world and fashion through lens.”  Ritournelle

Couture Candice – Karl Lagerfeld captures Candice Swanepoel in stunning fall 2011 haute couture garments for the October issue of Harper’s Bazaar US. Styled by Andrew Richardson, Candice is diva glam in the designs of Chanel, Givenchy and Atelier Versace haute couture. Hair by Sam McKnight and makeup by Val Garland complete the sumptuous black and white image.

Statuesque Resort – The Fendi resort 2012 campaign taps Natasha Poly for ultra-bright images starring the Russian beauty with classic statues and mid-length skirts. Photographed by Karl Lagerfeld, Natasha sports a messy up-do and chunky heels with a casual elegance.

Princess Vanessa – Actress Vanessa Paradis teams up with Karl Lagerfeld for the July 2011 issue of Tatler Russia. The French beauty wanders around Versailles Palace in the delicate and elegant designs of Chanel, bringing an echo of Marie Antoinette style back to the court.

Fendi Fall 2011 Campaign ~ Muse Like – Another season, another Fendi campaign starring Anja Rubik lensed by Karl Lagerfeld. For autumn, Anja goes brunette as she plays a muse for male model Brad Kroenig. The collections mishmash of furs, tweed and knits go on display in a studio setting where Anja is as elegant as ever in languid poses.

Hope you have enjoyed looking at some of Karl Lagerfeld's recent work. Here are some links to some more info and images:

Today I want to present one of my favorite photographers and people Michal Tomaszewicz. You will see some great off camera flash photography with info under each picture. I been following Michals progress over the last 20+ years and he is one of those photographers that keep improving and have an amazing specter of technique and style. Michal is born in Poznan, Poland in 1965, based in Norway since 1981.

Title: "Cowgirl in the tub"  Camera Canon EOS 5D Mk II, Canon 20mm f/2.8. Light Bowens Esprit 1000ws with travel pack bounced into a Photoflex white umbrella.

Famous Norway national handbal team player Jan-Richard Lislerud Hansen photographed for his team Drammen HK's website etc. 2 Canon Speedlights 550 EX off camera triggered with Pocket wizzard TT5. No flash modifiers. Camera Canon EOS 5D Mk II. Lens Canon 17-40mm f/4.0.

Wedding picture of the year in Norway 2011. The groom is famous sculptor Nico Widerberg and his wife Camilla. The picture is taken on the way out after the ceremony with a Canon EOS 5D Mk II with a Canon 17-40mm f/2 L with a Canon speedlight 550 EX handheld on cable.

Self assignment. The image of the fish itself is bought on iStock.The waterbottle is photographed with two strobes bouncing off the wall behind the bottle. Michal blew bubbles with a straw into the water. He picked out the nicest looking bubbles and used them in this multiply layer image. Camera Sony Alpha DSLR A-900. Lens  Sony 70-200mm 2.8. 

This pictures is for the clothing company Sorbet off camera flash Bowens 1000ws with travel pack and a Photoflex softbox multidome Q39. The shoot started at 3:30am in the morning, this image is shot around 7 am in cloudy weather. Camera Hasselblad H3DII 31MP. Lens Hassselblad 50-11mm f/3.5-4.5 HC

I strongly reccomend you follow and like him on his Facebook page PHOTOSTUDIO-Tomaszewicz, link to web and blog from there. Michal also teach workshops on off camera flash photography worldwide.

Link to the 1 gigapixel panoramic image: http://www.hdpano.no/gpweb/gigapixel_h_48/ZOpen_48.html

After you click on the link, click on the picture to move as far as you want to into it. Wait a few seconds while it loads. Then use arrows to navigate.

What is a 1 Gigapixel Image see Wiki 

In Norway we have a Photographer I just call "The King of Furniture Photography". His name is Karl Otto Kristiansen and he shoots for many furniture companies. He is so well rounded and good at many other kinds of photography both over and under the water. Check out his web page.

Over the years he has spent thousands of hours photographing and working on files and slides from this view of the beautiful city of Ålesund, Norway. I've had the pleasure on going with him to his favorite spot where these many exposures that makes up this 1 gigapixel image is taken. It's a lot of preparations, he will call companies to ask them to keep lights on their building the nights he shoots. He once showed me where he put out generators with tungsten lamps to light up dark buildings and on and on. I guess we can say he is pretty much obsessed with getting the "impossible" picture of his city and he has succeded. He had wonderful pictures of this motive many years ago, but have kept going to get it just better and better.

The link under the picture takes you to the 1 gigapixel image and you can click and scroll way into it, look and see if people are home, who is out walking etc. Simply amazing and thanks to Karl Otto for sharing his amazing work.

You can find many more beautiful images and panoramic pictures by going to his website http://www.foto-kristiansen.no/

Here is a link in Norwegian from a newspaper article about it: http://www.smp.no/nyheter/article352330.ece

On October 1, 2004, Avedon died of a brain hemorrhage in San Antonio, Texas, while shooting an assignment for The New Yorker. At the time of his death, he was also working on a new project titledDemocracy to focus on the run-up to the 2004 U.S. presidential election.

Richard Avedon was born in NYC on May 15, 1923, in other words he was 81 when he died while shooting the assignment for The New Yorker. What about Irving Penn, George Hurrell, Helmut Newton, when did they retire? Irving Penn lived to be 92, George Hurrell 88, Helmut Newton 83. And as far as I know they where all actively involved with Photography to the end of their lives.

This is 4 of the Photographers in the portrait ~fashion world I consider the greatest ever. So much of their greatest work was done at an age where most people would be retired. 

You will never be finished learning  or never finish becoming the best photographer you can be, it's always more to learn, place for improvement. This is one of the many things that makes Photographer one of the greatest professions on this earth. I decided to become a full time one at age 16, that's now 39 years ago.

When do I want to retire? The answer is the same as it has been for many years, NEVER! My life keep changing, and the kind of jobs I get, but I sure want to spend my whole life trying to be the best I can be, because I sure have a true love and passion for Photography.

To read more about Mr. Richard Avedon and see samples of his work, follow this link www.richardavedon.com

One of my Photographer friends used to work as an assistant to Mr. Avedon many years ago and I have sure enjoyed hearing his stories from that time. RIP Mr. Richard Avedon, by many considered the greatest Photographer ever, he might be?

Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) An obituary, published in The New York Times following Avedon's death said that, "his fashion and portrait photographs helped define America's image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century."