Black and white personal work by Cole Roberts

Where My Black And White Lives

The work that has nothing to do with weddings.

Only posting in black and white.

About a year ago I started posting a lot on VSCO under my own name, disconnected from Nordica. The work there drifted away from weddings and elopements, and finally let me scratch an itch I’ve had for years.

A man smoking in a doorway in Malta, black and white street photograph

This outlet solved two problems I couldn’t figure out inside Nordica. First, I know not everyone loves black and white as much as I do. Your wedding photos are in colour because that’s what the day looked like, and that’s how it should be. If Nordica suddenly went all-in on black and white, that might deter couples who aren’t as keen. I need to respect that.

Second, where do I share work that doesn’t scream weddings? Work I love, that I proudly created, but doesn’t have a home? VSCO solved that.

Three men moving a large painting in a gilded room, black and white

A figure walking away through a meadow, black and white

Riders reflected on a wet beach, black and white

Two people sitting on a shore by the boats, black and white

There’s an additional layer, which is a common problem with photographers: becoming lost in the editing. My black and white problem was solved with VSCO because I use two, sometimes three, presets tops with minimal edits on top (maybe a dash of grain, playing with exposure, not much more). You can see which preset under every photo here.

Two bathers in a lake beneath a large cloud, black and white

A woman lying on rock among penguins, black and white

A walker on a path below jagged peaks in the Dolomites, black and white

A jetty and wind turbines on flat water, black and white

The first is that many past couples whose weddings I’ve done are avid photographers themselves - I still message with a lot of them about little ideas, lenses, places to travel, and so on. Somewhere out there, one of you might find this post and get inspired to try VSCO.

The second is working professionals who might have that same feeling of being trapped with what work to share, and how to flex a creative muscle elsewhere online. VSCO Sites is what I use for personal work now.

A figure on a concrete structure above the water, black and white

Behind the Nordica wedding work is other work I do, only in glorious black and white, sometimes with no connection to weddings at all.

See it on VSCO

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