Evan Prince, a professional photographer from Texas, made some powerful 6x6 B&W film (and DSLR digital) work late last year, and has shared it with www.bwphotopro.com. Below, he tells us about his passion for working in B&W (All photos Copyright Evan Prince):

This fall I attended two fitness competitions in Central Texas, documenting the women who are part of the Texas bodybuilding community. This photo story is a look behind the scenes at the immense preparation and dedication that lead to the competitor's brief moment in the spotlight.

My work has always been a combination of film and digital. I tend to carry two or three cameras around when I’m on assignment or shooting a personal piece, so the end product always combines some B&W film with digital imagery. I’d say about half of my personal work is shot in B&W but when I’m on assignment the editors tend to prefer color images, so I’d say more like 25% of my professional work is done in B+W. 

Contrary to popular belief, there is still plenty of magazine work that is shot on film, and I make sure to shoot a couple rolls whenever the opportunity arises.

I started out in photography shooting B&W film, and it still holds a mystique for me.  I think that there is something about documentary work in B&W that helps me to focus on the subject matter. I’m not distracted by bold colors or flashy backgrounds; I can simply evaluate the subject matter through my lens objectively.

I also tend to think that portraits in B&W have a more classic feel, the kind of thing you’d want to hang on the wall and show your relatives.

For photo inspiration, I look everywhere.  There are so many amazing photographers all over the world that I’m discovering new ones all the time. I love sitting in the library and pouring over photo books or magazines, to discover new talents. I’ve always been a big fan of guys like Dan Winters, Peter Lindbergh, Platon and Mark Seliger, who create stunning images in both B&W and color. I also admire contemporary documentary photographers like Peter Beste, Ragnar Axelsson and Shelby Lee Adams. I love it when a photographer dedicates themselves to a subject and continues to photograph them over long periods of time.

For this piece, I shot the portraits of the bodybuilders using a Hasselblad 501C w/ a Hasselblad 80mm F2.8, and I shot modal TMax 100. Negatives where then scanned and prints were made digitally. The documentary work that accompanies it on my website was shot with a Canon 5d mk2.  I also shoot with a Mamiya 7, a Konica Hexar, and a Toyo Field Camera. You can see more of my documentary and portrait work on my website, www.evanprincephoto.com.