Dave Wilkinson
Veteran
.....should not need too much explanation!What does "overused" mean?
...could be - 'used when something else would be more suitable'. But for some reason I have to keep refering people to the first line of my O.P.!:bang:Dave.
ferider
Veteran
I'm forcing myself to use B+W for my 1 year, 2 lens project, for educational purposes. Just started my 3rd month .... It's a pita though, for anything else but portraits. Much more than only using 2 lenses. In contrast to many here a grew up using color film only.
Roland.
Roland.
nzeeman
Well-known
it is easy to whole process at home - so that is probably reason.
but in my case i just don't like color - i have same feeling about color as for digital photos - somehow they don't have any value in my brain..
if i see some place i would like to shoot - i am always sad if i don't have bw film in my camera. i don't even take care of my developed color films - i make prints from them and then i forget about them. maybe it is because i think that bw is more perfect. it keep your attention focused on main subject in photo while color can distract you...
but in my case i just don't like color - i have same feeling about color as for digital photos - somehow they don't have any value in my brain..
if i see some place i would like to shoot - i am always sad if i don't have bw film in my camera. i don't even take care of my developed color films - i make prints from them and then i forget about them. maybe it is because i think that bw is more perfect. it keep your attention focused on main subject in photo while color can distract you...
mfogiel
Veteran
Well, I really think the advantages of going digital for shooting colour are just overwhelming, so I believe it is natural that most hardline film users do it for the sake of B&W, because the B&W film still delivers a tonality that digital can't match, and on top of that it has it's very distinctive look. Moreover, I find that shooting in B&W and adjusting the output so that it matches your desired vision is just much more natural - maybe because I grew up in a darkroom, dodging, burning, solarizing, etc... so even if I do this today in PS, it is very much the same thing. The end result, are often images that convey how I see things, rather than how everybody and his aunt see things...
@ ferider
I just cannot believe you are saying this... try to impose on yourself to shoot ONLY when the light is interesting, for example early morning, late evening, at night, in the fog, against a strong light source, etc... yoiu just HAVE to discover how much rewarding the B&W is... Use orange and red filters, try exposing just for the clouds, etc, etc, ...you will never come back to colour, haha...
And if all this is not very clear, I recommend you get some (expensive) books for inspiration by Michael Kenna for exmple...
@ ferider
I just cannot believe you are saying this... try to impose on yourself to shoot ONLY when the light is interesting, for example early morning, late evening, at night, in the fog, against a strong light source, etc... yoiu just HAVE to discover how much rewarding the B&W is... Use orange and red filters, try exposing just for the clouds, etc, etc, ...you will never come back to colour, haha...
And if all this is not very clear, I recommend you get some (expensive) books for inspiration by Michael Kenna for exmple...
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-doomed-
film is exciting
I enjoy color film as much as black and white, however I use black and white most of the time because it has become cheaper to develop it at home than to take my color film out to be processed. Though i must try dropping off my color film for develop and sleeve only since that apparently makes it cheaper. I like black and white for the whole experience of home development. I guess one could give color a shot but im not that confident in my developing skill/technique to step it up to color
Merkin
For the Weekend
For illustrative purposes, I threw together a flickr set of some images I have both color and black and white versions of. I think that in most cases, there is a pretty clear winner between the two, and most of the time it is the black and white version. The color versions are pretty much straight out of camera, and the black and white ones have pretty obviously had a good bit of work done, but all of the work was evenly applied to the whole image.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deac0nb1ues/sets/72157621818756381/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deac0nb1ues/sets/72157621818756381/
S
Socke
Guest
When I shoot colour
When I shoot colour
I do it with a DSLR.
20 rolls Sensia in the freezer and APX100 in my rangefinders
When I shoot colour
I do it with a DSLR.
20 rolls Sensia in the freezer and APX100 in my rangefinders
tbarker13
shooter of stuff
I shoot B&W 95 percent of the time because - well, because I cannot think of any reason not to.
In my opinion, there are only rare instances when an image might be enhanced by being shot in color. And in those rare instances, I'll use color.
But otherwise, I choose to portray the world in B&W.
In my opinion, there are only rare instances when an image might be enhanced by being shot in color. And in those rare instances, I'll use color.
But otherwise, I choose to portray the world in B&W.
hawkeye
steve
It is so strange that so many RFF'ers get so rigid about their photography. Why are so many things put into either/or form. Either film or digital, either BW or color?
Anyway last year traveling around France I decided to photograph color. Not just taking color photos but photos of color. A couple of the shots are attached.
I think these are good photos which is what matters more then take a vow of BW chastity.
Hawkeye
Anyway last year traveling around France I decided to photograph color. Not just taking color photos but photos of color. A couple of the shots are attached.
I think these are good photos which is what matters more then take a vow of BW chastity.
Hawkeye
Attachments
hawkeye
steve
shadowfox
Darkroom printing lives
I like RFF *precisely* because it's a safe haven for people who like to view and take B&W photographs, myself included.
B&W here is not overused, it's what characterizes RFF, a badge of honor, a coat of arms, so to speak.
When I want to enjoy color photos, I go to flickr, and in the rarest occasions that I feel like torturing my eyes with the garish and unbelievably banal Extreme-HDR images... well, I knew that I won't find that here in RFF.
Peace.
B&W here is not overused, it's what characterizes RFF, a badge of honor, a coat of arms, so to speak.
When I want to enjoy color photos, I go to flickr, and in the rarest occasions that I feel like torturing my eyes with the garish and unbelievably banal Extreme-HDR images... well, I knew that I won't find that here in RFF.
Peace.
Ducky
Well-known
That's pretty strong, Will, but I can't really disagree. I prefer B&W myself, it's what keep pulling me back to film, I don't like conversions.
tbarker13
shooter of stuff
Well, I don't want to bash color photography. And this is not directed at any previous poster. And it's just an opinion.
But I see a lot of color photos that only have one thing going for them - pretty colors.
This isn't to say that color photography isn't a wonderous thing. It certainly can be.
But I'd argue that it is easier to hide bad composition, subject matter, etc. behind those pretty colors. B&W, to my eye, is a more pure form or photography.
It's one of the great things about this hobby/profession. There's so much room for each of us to pursue it in our own way.
But I see a lot of color photos that only have one thing going for them - pretty colors.
This isn't to say that color photography isn't a wonderous thing. It certainly can be.
But I'd argue that it is easier to hide bad composition, subject matter, etc. behind those pretty colors. B&W, to my eye, is a more pure form or photography.
It's one of the great things about this hobby/profession. There's so much room for each of us to pursue it in our own way.
Chris101
summicronia
I just don't like the look of most color photographs.
ferider
Veteran
I'm trying, mfogiel, and I do expect some rewards - as I said, it's for educational purposes. We'll see
Rayt
Nonplayer Character
Color works when it is an element of the composition as you have excellently shown in these two photos. Otherwise color is just a distraction.
chut
Luceat Lux Vestra
I like that a B+W image is different from how we perceive in color. This abstraction of reality makes monochrome images interesting to me.
hawkeye
steve
"Color works when it is an element of the composition as you have excellently shown in these two photos. Otherwise color is just a distraction."
Rayt
Precisely right and following on this logic I would propose that it applies to BW as well. I feel that too many shooters use BW as a distraction. I see many photos that are BW and the only thing they have going for them is that they are in BW and therefore they are "serious" and perhaps "art."
BW and color are tools the photographer uses to create images and neither insures that the image will be any good.
It is the eye of the photographer (and the heart) that matters. Not whether you are shooting in BW or color or digitally or in film or with a 50mm Summicron or an Argus C3.
Hawkeye
Rayt
Precisely right and following on this logic I would propose that it applies to BW as well. I feel that too many shooters use BW as a distraction. I see many photos that are BW and the only thing they have going for them is that they are in BW and therefore they are "serious" and perhaps "art."
BW and color are tools the photographer uses to create images and neither insures that the image will be any good.
It is the eye of the photographer (and the heart) that matters. Not whether you are shooting in BW or color or digitally or in film or with a 50mm Summicron or an Argus C3.
Hawkeye
Attachments
peter_n
Veteran
I agree with this sentiment and I just like the look of B&W, plus it is easy to do at home. This is just me, but I tend to associate color with family snaps and suchlike and bought a dSLR just for this purpose a while back. Maybe I'm pigeonholing/categorizing but it seems to work for me.
ampguy
Veteran
I think both are good. There are times when one is more appropriate. Color is more difficult. If you browse through the photographic books and magazines, the color images are often staged.
I'm doing my own 1 year project starting this month. I am shooting in b/w mode with a digital camera. No photoshop or conversion to grayscale. No safety net.
But I will make exceptions when traveling, or when shooting family, who are requesting a color image.
I'm using 3 lenses for the year, a 28/2.8 Canon ltm, a 35/1.4 pre-asph lux, and a 50/1.4 pre-asph lux.
1 Year, 3 lenses, BW only*, no photoshop
* unless color is Required
I'm doing my own 1 year project starting this month. I am shooting in b/w mode with a digital camera. No photoshop or conversion to grayscale. No safety net.
But I will make exceptions when traveling, or when shooting family, who are requesting a color image.
I'm using 3 lenses for the year, a 28/2.8 Canon ltm, a 35/1.4 pre-asph lux, and a 50/1.4 pre-asph lux.
1 Year, 3 lenses, BW only*, no photoshop
* unless color is Required