I can catagorically state that if these pictures were in colour, they wouldn't work anything *like* as well - and as Kammer says, if they were colour, because of the nature of modern porn, it would be paddling in that dodgy area.
It's a fascinating thing, the alchemy of photography, and shooting this series has demonstrated it to me magnificently. There seems to be three main unquantifiables:
1) The Photogenic Model
Many people who one sees and thinks 'Phooaar, they're gorgeous, bet they photograph well', for whatever reason, frequently turn out to be a disappointment in front of the camera. It's the people that aren't so obvious that often produce scorching results.
2) Colour or B/W?
I consider myself to be a B/W photographer, as I believe it shows the quintessential quality of whatever's being photographed, especially people. Also we see in colour, and take a huge amount for granted when we look at an image. We don't really look at it, not unless the colour's *really* dramatic.
Also, some models work better in B/W than colour. I have taken photos of my fabulous model at the same time in both formats, and the results are amazing; she works fantastically well in B/W; but the colour work doesn't give the same frission. (However, an element of that could be my relationship with colour film). Then again, a commercial shot I did of two girls in a field of wildflowers worked brilliantly in colour, and not just because of the flowers; they sang out in it because it suited them as a medium.
3) Relationship Between Photographer and Model
Indefinable. Unplannable. When it works, it's the most exciting, exhilarating thing ever! Also, the confidence of the model is essential to the pose. When showing my model these pictures, we both agreed that she appears far more confident with her clothes off . . . it's *her* that's imbued these pictures with the magic; my job was to capture that magic as quickly as possible. She's utterly brilliant, and I have to say it's a privilege to work with her.
So there you go.
t'chops x
