Paris Photographer

For Christmas of 2023, I bought myself a Fujifilm X-T5 camera. The reason was simple—I wanted to fall in love with photography again. For my professional work, I use the Canon R5. It's a beast of a camera that I absolutely love, but there was just something about using it for street photography that made it feel like work. When I first got the X-T5, I set myself two very simple goals: shoot in black and white and with one focal length for four months. The jump from my usual focal length of 50mm to 35mm wasn’t a huge change. However, switching to a smaller, more tactile photo-oriented camera, was an absolute game changer. It made me want to go out and shoot. I am a firm believer that the camera maketh not the photographer, but I finally felt I had found the right tool to make the kind of photos I had long desired to create. En bref, it reinvigorated my photography and I was excited again to be walking the streets of Paris with my new appareil photo.

My Parisian homage to neo-noir movies of the 40s and 50s. © Malcolm McLoughlin

One of the things I quickly realised in shooting in black and white is that I see better in black and white. For many years I had frustratingly tried to find my colour grading style, only to constantly change it and overly compare myself to what other people were doing. Black and white just made sense to me. It is over a year now since I started shooting black and white and it's the single best move I’ve ever made regarding my creativity. While I still shoot in colour occasionally and have learned to be semi-comfortable with finding a colour editing style I don’t detest, I predominantly shoot in black and white.

This is relevant context for this blog post as I want to write about a series that has profoundly inspired me and, I believe, is a must-see for any photographer—whether you prefer black and white or colour.

Based off of the novels by Patricia Highsmith's, the Netflix series Ripley has garnered significant acclaim for its cinematography. Directed by Steven Zaillian and with DP duties handled by the inimitable Robert Elswit, the series employs a distinctive black-and-white visual style that echoes the neo-noir movies of the 40s and 50s. The monochromatic palette does more than merely set the tone; it becomes a character in its own right, capturing the moral ambiguity and psychological depth of Tom Ripley’s world. Elswit's use of lingering shots allows viewers to immerse themselves in the setting, capturing the elegance of 1960s Italy. This is reinforced by meticulous lighting and composition throughout the series.

*Ripley* captures the elegance of 1960s Italy. © SHOTDECK/Netflix

The Subtle Power of Black and White

The absence of colour allows the audience to focus more keenly on textures, composition, facial expressions, and the actors' performance. Ripley is a character defined by the mechanics of his duplicity and near-constant internal conflicts. The stark contrasts of black and white visually mirror his duality—the polished façade he presents to the world versus the darker truths lurking beneath. The cinematography captures this tension, with characters often bathed in half-light or emerging from the shadows. The pace of the series never feels overly fast and there are times when a lingering shot only adds to the unease and the overall feeling of will-he-or-won't-he-get-caught.

The interplay between bright and shadowy visuals can mirror Ripley's internal duality—his polished, charming facade versus the dark, manipulative aspects of his character. © SHOTDECK/Netflix

Composition

In episode 1, I seriously had difficulty following the dialogue (which is not complicated) due to being constantly in awe with every single shot. It was akin to watching a masterclass of black and white photography but with moving images as opposed to stills. The frequent use of “frame within a frame” techniques—capturing characters through windows, mirrors, or doorways—visually underscores themes of entrapment and voyeurism. Wide shots juxtapose Ripley’s solitary figure against imposing architecture, symbolising his isolation and the enormity of the schemes he weaves. Each shot feels purposeful, a still photograph imbued with layers of meaning.

In the series, frame within a frame techniques show Ripley engaging in voyeuristic behaviour, such as lurking outside windows and at the bank he is observing. © SHOTDECK/Netflix

What I only realised after the series had ended was that Elswit was also DP on Paul Thomas Anderson’s, There Will Be Blood, for which he won an Oscar in 2008. Not only is it one of my top three favourite movies but it also contains what I believe to be the greatest single acting performance of all time in Daniel Day Lewis’ terrifying protagonist, Daniel Plainview. But that’s an appreciation post for another time.

There Will be Blood, 2007 Paramount/Miramax. © SHOTDECK/Netflix

So it is no surprise that a cinematographer of this caliber is at the helm of Ripley. A series which NPR called, "a meticulously built piece of filmmaking that references classic noir and Hitchcock as well as Italian cinema greats,"

To conclude: Ripley uses black-and-white cinematography not just as a stylistic flourish but as a fundamental storytelling tool. It deepens the narrative’s psychological impact, enhances its noir sensibilities, and elevates the series to a work of visual art. By stripping away color, the series invites viewers to look closer, think deeper, and lose themselves in a world where light and shadow tell a story all their own. In doing so, Ripley sets a new standard for modern television, proving that sometimes, less truly is more.

Vive le noir et le blanc !