Baseball in B&W

David Deal’s Valley League Baseball, in B&W

JUST IN TIME FOR THE 2009 BASEBALL SEASON, WE’VE GOT SOME WONDERFUL B&W BASEBALL PHOTOGRAPHS TO SHARE

David Deal is a terrific photographer. You’ve seen his work in major ads and national magazines, like Fortune and many others.

Deal has an approach that is different from most magazine and ad shooters: he works mainly in 4x5” view camera format and mostly with available light.

He shot this baseball feature recently for Virginia Living magazine. Tyler Darden, the art director, encourages photographers to work in medium and large format. In fact, the assignment was to shoot the nearly 100-year-old Valley League Virginia baseball organization in 4x5” on Polaroid type 55 P/N B&W film. (Sadly, this is likely the last time he’ll shoot an assignment on discontinued Type Positive/Negative 55 film. Deal says he is down to his last box.)

The rural, “unglamorous” ballparks leant themselves to this approach; many look like they are right out of the 1930s and 1940s, Deal says.

Given the choice Deal says he would always work in B&W: “For t he first 5-6 years it was 100% B&W. I definitely see things more easily when I think in in B&W terms. All the photographers I came up admiring, Avedon, the Magnum photographers, were all known for B&W.” Not adddxnxnxnttracted to color work at all; could always see things more easily in B&W. For a long time I didn't think in color at all. Gives yoNot attracted to color work at all; could always see things more easily in B&W. For a long time I didn't think in color at all. Gives you the option of producing a more graphically powerful image done right way.

Color can do it produce dynamic graphically interesting but much easier to communicate something visually in B&W. That's why

A bit more universal and timeless in B&W. Stands the test of time better.

u the option of producing a more graphically powerful image done right way.

Color can do it produce dynamic graphically interesting but much easier to communicate something visually in B&W. That's why

Not attracted to color work at all; could always see things more easily in B&W. For a long time I didn't think in color at all. Gives you the option of producing a more graphically powerful image done right way.

Color can do it produce dynamic graphically interesting but much easier to communicate something visually in B&W. That's why

A bit more universal and timeless in B&W. Stands the test of time better.