Andy Hawthorne

You’ll notice all my photographs are black and white. 

I don’t hate colour. I shoot colour because my camera has a colour sensor. 

But me? 

I see in black and white. Patterns, tones, shape and shadow. Because my eyes don’t do well with colour. 

I have protanopia. Meaning my eyes don’t handle red/green properly. It’s a form of colour-blindness. 

But for me it’s a super power. Because black and white photos say more. 

You can walk past a colour photo. But try that with black and white. It will shout at you. And demand attention. 

Now, I know we don’t see the world in black and white. Despite my claim that I do. 

But, for me, that’s not the point. 

The point is: black and white photos have more impact. Colour shows you how it is. Black and white shows you have it feels.

So, I decided a while ago to stick with black and white. 

If you’ve never tried it? Give it a go. It might surprise you.