I like to take protraits of my wife and friends, but I am in my 60s and so are they. And wrinkles are always a problem. I think colour helps to hide or smooth them and black and white to highligth them. I’m right? What would I have to do to photograph elderly people in black and white? Thank you in advance for your answer.

Switching to black and white allows you to focus on the lighting, and the way the light falls on the model. Look at old Hollywood black and white PR pictures. The lighting is masterful and dramatic. There’s strong modeling and the light is almost liquid in the way it defines the subject. There’s powerful use of positive and negative space. We also have the luxury of filters (yellow, red, blue, etc.).

Color can bring up some interesting problems in portraiture, compared to model photography. With models, you’re a bit more in control of the clothing, accessories, and makeup (men and women, to be fair). With portraiture, well, it can get bizarre. These aren’t professional models. Not only can you be dealing with the “camera face” and “camera poses” they concocted on their own, you’re dealing with their sense of color, clothing, accessory, hair, and makeup style. There’s no gentle way of putting this but “yikes!”.

Some of this overlaps into black and white, but I’ve had to sort out some “interesting applications of makeup” (yes, both men and women). It’s often worse with flash, but concealer can blast right through a foundation. Clothing presents it’s own problems, from weird draping, to distracting patterns and fabrics.

I don’t shoot formal portraits often. They can be as time consuming as a complex set piece. I prefer “hot light” over flash. I’m not only the photographer but the stylist. In some ways color is easier. You can let color contrast do the work and flat light, just separate the subject from the background. With black and white you really have to work with your lighting. It sounds hard, but it’s not. You can create a few signature “looks”.

The images above are excellent and interesting. In black and white the images are almost timeless. In color, the “pink” that looks right today, may not in a decade.

If you really want to know what it’s like to be a subject of a portrait, be a model, and let a stylist work you over. That will give you perspective in ways you can’t imagine. When I was younger, a friend who modeled for me, decided she’d rather be a professional makeup and hair stylist. OK. But, she needed models to practice on, “real people”. I was “volunteered” while she was training. Fair enough. I have a whole new level of respect for professional models.