Tabatha Deuel

Capturing Emotion in Black and White Photography

Photography is often about capturing a moment, a feeling, or an essence that transcends the image itself. In my recent portrait of Tabatha Deuel, titled “Glimmers in the Rain,” I wanted to explore the timeless elegance of black and white photography while using natural light to emphasize texture and emotion.

For this shot, I chose the Rokinon 85mm lens paired with my Fujifilm XT-5, a combination that delivers sharpness and depth while maintaining a soft, almost ethereal quality. I wanted to create a sense of serenity and introspection, so I positioned Tabatha to look upward toward the sky, using natural light to accentuate the contours of her face and the reflections in her eyes.

To add texture and depth to the image, I decided to sprinkle water droplets on her face. The water catches the light in unexpected ways, creating tiny glimmers that bring a sense of life and movement to the stillness of the black and white palette. The contrast between the soft skin tones and the sparkling water adds another layer of intrigue, making the viewer look closer, feel more, and perhaps imagine their own stories behind the gaze.

Black and white photography strips an image down to its essence. Without the distraction of color, the focus shifts to composition, light, texture, and emotion. The simplicity of black and white often reveals complexities that might otherwise be overlooked—subtle expressions, shadows, and contrasts that tell a story on their own. For this image, I wanted to capture the delicate balance between strength and vulnerability, between calm and the unseen turmoil that so often lies beneath the surface.

By using natural light, I aimed to highlight the authenticity of the moment. Natural light has a unique way of interacting with textures and tones, creating a more organic feel to the photograph. In this case, the light helped bring out the intricate details of the water droplets, turning them into tiny points of light that dance across the frame.

The result is an image that feels both intimate and expansive—a portrait that invites the viewer to linger, to explore the nuances of expression, and to find their own meaning in the interplay of light, texture, and emotion.

Photography, especially in black and white, is an exploration of contrasts—of light and shadow, of what is seen and what is felt. With “Glimmers in the Rain,” I hope to have captured a moment that resonates beyond the frame, an image that speaks to the beauty of simplicity and the complexity of human emotion.