B+W overused here?

lawrence said:
I don't agree. For me the best colour photography is where colour is an important element of the photograph but at the same time not the subject of the photograph. I would cite William Eggleston's work as an example.
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Call me an arrogant brat but I don't like Eggleston's pictures. I respect his place in the photographic world, and can even appreciate the importance of his work, but the snapshotty look they all have leaves me flat. The color is too muted and secondary to the picture for the most part. I understand that he was going for a representation of reality with that style.
 
I have a theory: If there weren't such high rates of colourblindness in men (as compared to women), black and white photography would have died out a long time ago.
 
Chris101 said:
The color is too muted and secondary to the picture for the most part. I understand that he was going for a representation of reality with that style.
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This is the first time I've ever heard someone complain that the colour in Eggleston's photos is too muted and realistic! :D
 
kully said:
As Pickett says, colour adds something else to consider in the mix.

And apart from that, developing and enlarging B&W is much easier than

colour.
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This is exactly the reason why I am doing mainly B&W.

I only have a snapshot digital camera for .....................snapshots in color.

But I am starting slowly to do some chromes now and then but the price for film and devellopement is prohibitive 15 euro for a 36 roll of provia or velvia ,the total cost of a 36 roll, from bulk, of Rollei retro develloped in Rodinal is 3 euro.
 
Dave Wilkinson said:
Firstly, I apologise - my referal to my opening line was not really directed at you, but at those who seem to have the impression that I am anti-mono, and derisive of those who strictly adhere to it. I love black and white, and have shot and processed more than my share in the last fifty years, but try to maintain a 'horses for courses' outlook. I have no set ratio for anything, next week I may buy a few rolls of HP5+ and replenish my chemicals, then after that use colour (digital or film ) for a few weeks. What started as reasonable and inocent personal opinion on the colour or mono merits of a lot of the pictures that I see, and my asking for the views of others, seems - as so often happens here, to have escalated somewhat!.
Regards, Dave.
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No problem, Dave. I'm poking at the term "overused". I just don't understand the use of that term in this context. If I made a statement that there was an overabundance of Canadians (just an example... picked at random... no implications implied) on this forum wiould you know what I felt the difference between enough or too-many Canadians was?

Others are poking at whatever makes them emotional. You probably know this already... but there is no such thing as an "innocent personal opinion" on the internet. :D
 
it has been proven that we remember more from a black & white movie than we do from a colour movie.
black & white seems to have more emotional impact on us than colour does.
colour images are often images of just colour while black and white images are often images of something in black and white.
 
back alley said:
it has been proven that we remember more from a black & white movie than we do from a colour movie.
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I think it must depend on the movie, surely? I mean even some b&w movies aren't that memorable...

back alley said:
black & white seems to have more emotional impact on us than colour does.
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Not necessarily, otherwise -- as has been pointed out -- most artists would paint in b&w.

back alley said:
colour images are often images of just colour while black and white images are often images of something in black and white.
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I've read this line a few times but somehow I can't quite get my head round it...guess I need another beer :rolleyes:
 
Hmmmm.....the response is that "photography is a different medium" and a list of modern BW painters.

Why isn't that very convincing? How does that negate my point that color is harder to use well (in any medium) than BW? And that 99.9 % or the world's great art is in color?

That some artists worked in BW means what???? That BW photography is better than color photography and is not painting?

Hawkeye
 
hawkeye said:
How does that negate my point that color is harder to use well (in any medium) than BW? And that 99.9 % or the world's great art is in color?
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In my experience it's hard to do anything well, whether in colour or b&w. To try to compare colour with b&w is ludicrous -- some things work better in colour, others in b&w, end of story.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by back alley
colour images are often images of just colour while black and white images are often images of something in black and white.

I've read this line a few times but somehow I can't quite get my head round it...guess I need another beer :rolleyes:


Just nod your head and politely agree. :D
 
Gumby said:
I'll bet that the research was just the opposite when color (colour) movies were first introduced!
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colour stimulates the brain more than black and white, there is less to stimulate in a black & white image and therefore we remember more of it.
 
Gumby said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by back alley
colour images are often images of just colour while black and white images are often images of something in black and white.

I've read this line a few times but somehow I can't quite get my head round it...guess I need another beer :rolleyes:


Just nod your head and politely agree. :D
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with a colour image, colour is often the subject.
 
back alley said:
colour stimulates the brain more than black and white, there is less to stimulate in a black & white image and therefore we remember more of it.
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Well, I guess I learned something new today: the less a human brain is exposed to, the more it will remember. :cool: Very interesting; somewhat counter-intuitive. And a convincing argument for B&W photography.... if one's desire is to be remembered!
 
I shoot "any old thing" in black and white. If that offends your sensibilities, learn to deal with it. :p
 
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The problem with the original question: "Is B+W overused here?" is that the observation initiating the question is based on the collective output of a group (RFF photographers), while the descision to use B+W (or colour) is an individual one. Know what I mean?
 
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