articles/Nature/colourmehappy-page1

Colour Me Happy - part 1 of 1 2

by Paul Gallagher Published 01/04/2010

No don't go thinking that the Editor has put the wrong images in the Paul Gallagher article because you will be wrong. Yes, these are colour images, and yes, I took them! I was at Focus on Imaging in Birmingham last week and I actually printed some of my colour work off and displayed it on the Epson stand with my name on the bottom, next to the title. I was quite surprised by the response this got from some people.

For those who did not know me, the images were very well received and I was pleased to hear some very kind compliments. This was also the case with people who knew me, but their compliments were preceded with rather odd reactions. In the main the initial reaction was as if I had begun to shoot nudes or taken up flower photography because they were often heard saying things like, 'Hold on what is going on here!' Or some folk exclaimed, 'Goodness me these are in colour!' In some way I felt like I had 'broken new ground' and perhaps betrayed the dedicated follower of the monochrome image. If, however, I was a colour photographer and decided to convert some of my images to monochrome then I suspect the reaction may not have been so strong or maybe no reaction at all.

Although I have dedicated the vast majority of my photographic career to perfecting the monochrome image of the landscape, I do still love colour work and admire the achievements of friends such as Joe Cornish and Charlie Waite. The fact is we all should try both colour and black and white and see for ourselves which one lends itself to our personal striving for expression through photography. I have been intending to get out there and make some colour photographs for some time.

However, because I have been writing books on monochrome and I am generally known for my monochrome work I have not found (made) the time. Even when I was faced with a situation presenting itself both in colour and black and white, I have been almost duty-bound to get my large-format camera out of the bag and expose a sheet of black and white film.

• Colour Me Happy page 1
  
• Colour Me Happy page 2
  

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