Bill Pierce
Well-known
I’ve never decided whether color is a blessing or a curse. When Time became the “colorful newsweekly” (as much for the ads as the editorial section), I often felt that the not-so-good and routine shots looked better (BLESSING), but the color in really powerful news images in a sense was a distraction that made them less powerful (CURSE). Color dragged everything to a midpoint. Bad pictures got better and good pictures often got worse.
With digital, we have our choice. And, indeed, my pictures of family outings and the family dogs definitely benefit from color. Serious stuff, portraits, stage pictures, musicians, much street work quite often benefits from black-and-white. There is one exception. The really silly stuff that you sometimes come across on the street often becomes even sillier if you push the “garish” slider in your image processing program to the max.
Disagree? Agree? Thoughts in general about color vs. b&w… It could be important.
With digital, we have our choice. And, indeed, my pictures of family outings and the family dogs definitely benefit from color. Serious stuff, portraits, stage pictures, musicians, much street work quite often benefits from black-and-white. There is one exception. The really silly stuff that you sometimes come across on the street often becomes even sillier if you push the “garish” slider in your image processing program to the max.
Disagree? Agree? Thoughts in general about color vs. b&w… It could be important.
rhl-oregon
Cameras Guitars Wonders
I can summarize my ethos: I mostly use my digitals (Fuji, Ricoh, Sigma, Lumix) in monochrome mode because I want the serious stuff, as you put it, to show itself in the VF as I will want to further develop it, in the chaste/muted/understated palette of tones, between the absolutes of light and shadow.
When I shoot color, I want to shoot color for color's sake, whether the subjects are people, parades, skies. And because I see the color through the film camera VFs, they are more likely to be loaded with Ektar for the opportunity where a chaos or a cosmos of color presents itself.
Also, I have a partner and two grown children with cameras. On our trips with "sightseeing," they take care of the souvenir shots, leaving me free to find B/W subjects. With the Fuji, I can order up 3 variants (e.g., Velvia, Provia, sepia) of any exposure, and sometimes that is useful for later choices, since on these trips I remain the best photographer in the family, if only because I practice at it so much. But mostly that sort of digital 3-for-1 approach feels like having ordered too much food at a place where you know you'd be content with coffee and a bagel.
When I shoot color, I want to shoot color for color's sake, whether the subjects are people, parades, skies. And because I see the color through the film camera VFs, they are more likely to be loaded with Ektar for the opportunity where a chaos or a cosmos of color presents itself.
Also, I have a partner and two grown children with cameras. On our trips with "sightseeing," they take care of the souvenir shots, leaving me free to find B/W subjects. With the Fuji, I can order up 3 variants (e.g., Velvia, Provia, sepia) of any exposure, and sometimes that is useful for later choices, since on these trips I remain the best photographer in the family, if only because I practice at it so much. But mostly that sort of digital 3-for-1 approach feels like having ordered too much food at a place where you know you'd be content with coffee and a bagel.
R
rpsawin
Guest
Somewhere early on in my photo journey I found a quote that summed up how I felt about color-vs-b&w. this may not be exact and I wish I knew who said it and it is "If I want to show you something I will use a color image. If I want to tell you something I will use a b&w image".
This still holds true for me today...ymmv.
This still holds true for me today...ymmv.
noisycheese
Normal(ish) Human
Well said.
I started with B&W. Moved to E6 for some time. Got back into B&W as my eye matured and I came to realize that color can be a distraction and an impediment to actually seeing the elements of final image and its underlying message.
Many times the photographer's audience will look at a color photograph without seeing. B&W removes the distraction of color, allowing the viewer to see something other than the colors.
Of course, some images demand color.
The discrening photographer has the visual wisdom to know the difference and photographs (or prints) accordingly.
quadtones
Established
Started out with black and white, because I could process it in the darkroom under the stairs in my parents' home [Federal enlarger, brownie safelight], it was cheap, and not temperature critical in processing [the house wasn't air conditioned in those days]. I never have been able, in more than 50 years, to exhaust the capabilities of black and white. On the other hand, when I do [rarely] shoot color, it tends to be about the color, not the content, as the primary goal. It's not about light and shadow...but I do sometimes miss shooting 6x7 Velvia 50.
Monochrom
Well-known
Hi,
i find colour to be much more demanding.
In B/W you have light, forms, contrast, etc
When colour is added to the composition is not like adding a plain element to the summ. Adding colour is like multiplying each photographic element by many times!!!
Learning to view in B/W takes a long time...but we see in colour and to make good colour photgraphy means i have to unlearn to view that way in order to learn again to look in colour...hope i can make myself clear
so for now i´m trying to deal with B/W...once i feel comfortable that way for sure i´ll try to learn again to look in colour!
i find colour to be much more demanding.
In B/W you have light, forms, contrast, etc
When colour is added to the composition is not like adding a plain element to the summ. Adding colour is like multiplying each photographic element by many times!!!
Learning to view in B/W takes a long time...but we see in colour and to make good colour photgraphy means i have to unlearn to view that way in order to learn again to look in colour...hope i can make myself clear
so for now i´m trying to deal with B/W...once i feel comfortable that way for sure i´ll try to learn again to look in colour!
Contarama
Well-known
I've never quite understood why my kids don't really get into Lon Chaney...but they will watch Star Wars for hours on end. Maybe there is some hope for them some other time.
ReeRay
Well-known
An opinion that I always try to keep in mind. I think I read it on this forum.
"Color's what you see, black and white's what you get"
I shoot in color simply because that's what's in front of me, but I'll always desaturate in PP to establish the content of the image as opposed to the color element. If the contents there and the color compliments it, it stays in color. If the color distracts, then it's in monotone.
"Color's what you see, black and white's what you get"
I shoot in color simply because that's what's in front of me, but I'll always desaturate in PP to establish the content of the image as opposed to the color element. If the contents there and the color compliments it, it stays in color. If the color distracts, then it's in monotone.
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
In the past b/w television was more sharp...
B/W divides still and life, color brings chaos.
But.
I need colors in fall for leafs, for macro and product photography. Even to sell something on-ebay
If someone wants my pictures (reportage) it is asked (preferred) to be in color.
B/W divides still and life, color brings chaos.
But.
I need colors in fall for leafs, for macro and product photography. Even to sell something on-ebay
If someone wants my pictures (reportage) it is asked (preferred) to be in color.
peterm1
Veteran
I started "serious" shooting in black and white but over the past few years have drifted to colour. Although nothing in my colour shots tend to be "usual" - I always manipulate my images in post to get something that has colour in it - but are often not all that colourful. Reason is that I like images to be low in saturation but generally high in contrast. I guess thats my signature.
Now if you are asking about reportage. I simply cannot comment. I am not that kind of photographer - I am more an artsy-fartsy shooter.
And for whatever reason I have decided that low saturation high contrast images are my "thing". It was never a conscious thing either - I just ended up there some how. In some ways its much more demanding than shooting black and white. When you make black and white images people know you are taking a "serious" photo. When you are making a colour image unless you get it right, people regard it as nothing more than a "snapshot". The kind of thing they can do with their iPhone or $200 point and shoot. Of course its not true. Especially in my case as most of the final result in my images come from photoshop as much as from the camera itself.
I know others dont feel this way. One British photographer James Ravellious always said that he shot in black and white because England was so green and shooting in black and white avoided that problem. I can see his point as was a very specific kind of photographer.
Now if you are asking about reportage. I simply cannot comment. I am not that kind of photographer - I am more an artsy-fartsy shooter.
And for whatever reason I have decided that low saturation high contrast images are my "thing". It was never a conscious thing either - I just ended up there some how. In some ways its much more demanding than shooting black and white. When you make black and white images people know you are taking a "serious" photo. When you are making a colour image unless you get it right, people regard it as nothing more than a "snapshot". The kind of thing they can do with their iPhone or $200 point and shoot. Of course its not true. Especially in my case as most of the final result in my images come from photoshop as much as from the camera itself.
I know others dont feel this way. One British photographer James Ravellious always said that he shot in black and white because England was so green and shooting in black and white avoided that problem. I can see his point as was a very specific kind of photographer.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Some subjects are a natural for color.
Others work best in B&W.
Use what works best for your intent and subject.
G
Others work best in B&W.
Use what works best for your intent and subject.
G
mrmeadows
Established
a point of view on color
a point of view on color
We see color. Always. (Unless the light is very dim.) In our daily lives, we mostly "look past" color and composition and concentrate instead on content and meaning. When we look at photos or at other forms of images, the immediacy of the content is filtered by a critical assessment of the delivery vehicle as well. For an image in a frame, the composition within that frame looms large in our consciousness, and we cannot easily "look past" it. When the color detracts from, conflicts with or defeats entirely the harmonious coherence of the compositional elements of the image, then it weakens or distracts our response to the content or meaning, and the image is considered weak. By eliminating the color, BW requires us to assess only the naked composition which, if successful, allows us to move immediately to the image's content or meaning. Strong subjective emotional attachment to the content or meaning of the subject can, however, override these considerations and let us "look past" them as we usually do, and a weak image can be greatly strengthened by this subjective appreciation of its content and meaning.
a point of view on color
We see color. Always. (Unless the light is very dim.) In our daily lives, we mostly "look past" color and composition and concentrate instead on content and meaning. When we look at photos or at other forms of images, the immediacy of the content is filtered by a critical assessment of the delivery vehicle as well. For an image in a frame, the composition within that frame looms large in our consciousness, and we cannot easily "look past" it. When the color detracts from, conflicts with or defeats entirely the harmonious coherence of the compositional elements of the image, then it weakens or distracts our response to the content or meaning, and the image is considered weak. By eliminating the color, BW requires us to assess only the naked composition which, if successful, allows us to move immediately to the image's content or meaning. Strong subjective emotional attachment to the content or meaning of the subject can, however, override these considerations and let us "look past" them as we usually do, and a weak image can be greatly strengthened by this subjective appreciation of its content and meaning.
I see in color, so I prefer color. B&W is an additional abstraction. I use B&W too. Godfrey summed it up right. As always in photography, there is never one right answer and there is a lot of BS thrown around when it comes to color vs. B&W (similar to digital vs. film).
Bill Clark
Veteran
Black & White can tell a story, when making photographs.
With color, the medium can be a roadblock to a story as it leaves little for the imagination.
With color, the medium can be a roadblock to a story as it leaves little for the imagination.
KEH
Well-known
For my safari work colour is usually an important part of the image - but there is always about 10% or more of a portfolio where the purity of BW is what I want in the image.
For urban shooting I am more and more looking for BW shots, which means excluding a lot of potential shots because I know they won't work in BW. When I think colour is a key element of the shot, then I will take it and keep the colour in PP. Sort of a 'BW priority' approach to shooting.
Interesting discussion,
Kirk
For urban shooting I am more and more looking for BW shots, which means excluding a lot of potential shots because I know they won't work in BW. When I think colour is a key element of the shot, then I will take it and keep the colour in PP. Sort of a 'BW priority' approach to shooting.
Interesting discussion,
Kirk
williams473
Well-known
I find color far harder to control, but that may be because I've done far, far less personal color work. Of course my paid gigs usually are digital color images for the sake of practicality. But in the realm of the creative photograph, I find it really difficult to control the myriad hues that are available to express things within my control. Anything that isn't "realistic" color can be interpreted as poor technical skill - in fact I often see it that way - so it seems more limiting to me. With a monochrome image there seem to be far more ways to work the print subjectively. I guess that's somewhat ironic since the name "black and white" implies we only have two tools to use, when in fact a well printed image can contain a vast amount of black, white and grey tones. I just dabbled a bit with some personal color work last week and find this still to be true - I don't hate the images but also didn't ever feel completly in control of them either - I guess there's no mastery there...
Jamie Pillers
Skeptic
This can go either way. B&W can lead the viewer to assume drama that's not there as well. As far as color being a roadblock, I don't think that's proven out in the work of many, many pros that have been producing fabulous story-telling images for years. Even the straight-forward realist images of someone like Stephen Shore draw the viewer into imagined stories by the truckload.
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cz23
-
Of course, I also see in color but it's rarely color that engages me, especially photographically. More likely I'm arrested by the content or graphics of a scene. When I open an image I usually find the color distracting and not at all part of my perception. So I invariably remove it. I prefer the moe elemental aesthetic of grayscale.
John
pluton
Well-known
Another quote, this from the character of the cameraman(as played by Sam Fuller) in Wim Wenders film "The State Of Things":
"Life is in color, but black and white is more realistic."
"Life is in color, but black and white is more realistic."
Murchu
Well-known
I really enjoy both, and would hate to be without either. I never think much about any grand generalisations of either medium, as I find I am always just around the corner from seeing amazing work in the medium that will just knock me on my ass, and decimate any any such narrow definitions.
I'm not sure where colour and b&w fit in with my own shooting, I only know that both colour and b&w images proliferate in any things I like to shoot with any regularity. My real issue with the two mediums is in how to wed both into a cohesive unit, when there is a mix of colour and b&w images in the same project.
I always find these conversations interesting, as I love to see others takes on the two, lest it may open some new door of understanding in my mind and how the two fit into my own images.
I'm not sure where colour and b&w fit in with my own shooting, I only know that both colour and b&w images proliferate in any things I like to shoot with any regularity. My real issue with the two mediums is in how to wed both into a cohesive unit, when there is a mix of colour and b&w images in the same project.
I always find these conversations interesting, as I love to see others takes on the two, lest it may open some new door of understanding in my mind and how the two fit into my own images.