The Absence of Color

When I was learning how to shoot and edit video, I needed a really good story. Something interesting, fascinating, and close to home. I found that story in a young girl who is an exceptional artist.

I have a friend who has a daughter with a rare genetic disorder called Achromatopsia. As you may have guessed, this is a disorder of the eye where the affected person has no cones, only rods. You may remember from high school biology, rods in the eye are for seeing in the dark, in shades of gray. The video I produced is a short documentary about this young woman’s life and struggles.

We have become accustomed to seeing black and white photographs. The absence of color leaves much to the imagination: What color was that woman’s dress? His hair? That child’s eye? It is, for this reason, black and white photography can be very effective. There is a mysterious factor involved. If we want reality, we shoot in color. Color is for photojournalism, black and white engages the mind in other, more artistic ways.