Black and white photography comes to your tablet, courtesy of The Phoblographer’s La Noir Image

 

 

Do you love black and white photography? Want to learn more about the medium, see inspirational imagery, and get great ideas for your next monochromatic artwork? If so, our good friend Chris Gampat -- better known on the web as The Phoblographer -- has a project that will likely be of interest to you. (And he needs your help to take it to the next level!)

Late last year, Chris launched La Noir Image (note: contains some non-work safe content), a website aimed at promoting the color photo's all-too-often-neglected greyscale cousin. La Noir Image profiles black and white photographers and their creations, offers up reviews of relevant products for black and white photography, and helps its readers to grow with tips, tricks and thought-provoking commentary.

 

The debut issue of La Noir Image -- available free in Adobe PDF format -- includes profiles on eight different black and white photographers.

But since La Noir Image first launched, Chris has found his vision limited by the design requirements of the web, so he's decided to move the project to a different medium, one where he'll better be able to control its look and feel. Instead of a just another website, La Noir Image will become an attrative, magazine-style app for both iPad and Android tablets.

You can get an idea of how the app will look courtesy of a sample issue Chris has put together and shared in PDF format. The final app should be similarly stylish, but will include interactivity that's not possible in this PDF sample. It certainly gives a nice feel for the direction in which Chris would like to steer La Noir Image, though, featuring interviews with eight different photographers and a really great selection of their black-and-white photos.

 

 

But creating the app is going to be no small task, and that's where your help is needed. Chris is seeking funding for his project on Kickstarter, and for as little as US$10 -- something most of us wouldn't think twice about spending on some flavored water at our local coffee shop -- you can help bring the La Noir Image to your tablet this fall.

Even at this lowest pledge level you'll get a 12-month subscription to the app once it launches this September, giving you a year's worth of inspiration for your own creations. If you can afford a little more, though, then your subscription can come accompanied by large-format postcards, prints or posters of Chris' own photos, as well as T-shirts, the chance to feature your own artworks in a future issue, and even a two-hour shooting package or photography class in New York with Chris Gampat himself, among other bonuses. (You'll need to get yourself to the Greater NYC area, of course.) These higher pledge levels start at US$15, and run to US$2,000 for the highest pledge level including all possible rewards -- including dinner and drinks with Chris, and we're sure his eternal and undying gratitude as well! ;)

 

The final La Noir Image app will include some luscious and really inspirational imagery, as the PDF preview shows rather nicely.

So what are you waiting for? If you want to help grow your black and white photo chops -- and gain access to a year's worth of inspiration and reading material at a discounted price -- hop on over to the La Noir Image Kickstarter page now, and get your pledge in to help bring the app to fruition!