Do most people "get" black and white?

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

I might be able to provide a reply if I knew what anyone meant by "most" in this context. There are, give or take, six billion people in this world. Most of them are unlikely to take notice of any photograph, on account of just getting on with the business of survival.

"Most" of the remainder probably don't care one way or another.

These discussions remind me of a comment on the British government that I heard a while back: "a bunch of rich boys with little idea of the realities facing their constituents".

If the question had been something along the lines of "How many people have you met who like your black and white images", then an interesting discussion might have emerged.

 

[brbo]

If it sucks, try it in BW.

And you get to be an Artist for it as a bonus 🙂

 

[Gumby]

Do people "get" photography? That's the same question: never mind colour or B+W. As mentioned above, yes if there's something to "get". Not otherwise.

THIS.... and that.

 

[Bill Clark]

When I changed careers in 2002 and became a photographer for hire, my first gig was a wedding, I did the grooms father wedding in the 1970's, and the engagement photos I made using black & white film.

I still remember making the photos. Before digital. Kodak TMax 100, medium format, Mamiya camera 6x4.5. I developed and made a 16x20 print. They loved all the photos. Had a camera with B&W at all weddings.

Some weddings the B&G ordered a book with color and another for B&W.

Even last year young folks who hired me liked the work I did with B&W. As I developed and printed the photos they saw images that are getting rarer and rarer today.

I haven't really had to explain B&W photographs.

 

[noisycheese]

In discussions about the choice for b/w and colour, I usually make the analogy of charcoal sketches vs oil paintings. Both beautiful media: the first with its emphasis on structure and composition, the latter focusing on detail and tone.

Both expressions in the same visual language: the first being a poem, the latter a song.

That's a valid analogy; it has also come to mind for me in the past. Different media for different subjects, purposes and results.

Not all vocalize it, but more than once I have been met with "Why the black and white?" and I struggle to explain without sounding terribly pretentious.

I'm not a fine art photographer by any means, but I've been accused of being unnecessarily artsy fartsy with photos. I like high contrast, moody pictures sometimes, but it's as if people want (and expect) to see snapshots. I've been asked to take photos at family occasions and people who see the photos seem disappointed they aren't all in colour. (They also wonder why I seem to snap hundreds of shots but present a couple of dozen, but that's another story.)

These days I mostly just respond with a shrug: "I like it that way."

@Clive,
The people who respond this way are obviously not serious photographers; they are used to Facebook type "photography" IMHO.

When people ask you to make photos as a favor at no cost to them, they need to learn to be content with what, how and why you photograph for them (as if that will ever happen 🙄 but still...)

If they are paying you for your work, they get to decide whay, how and why along with B&W vs. color, digital or film based, 35mm or medium format, etc.; the dynamic of the transaction is decidedly different.

One thing you might do when photographing for friends or family at no cost to them is to let them know beforehand how you will photograph and what to expect (B&W or color, 4x6 prints or larger size, quantity, JPEG on a thumb drive or hi-res burned to a CD, etc.). If you are photographing primarily for your own purposes, then they need to be content with what you give them. If you are photographing more as a favor to them, you might ask if B&W is okay or if they prefer color or a combination of both.

Just a few ideas of mine - in the end, it's your call.

 

[______]

Am I the only one that thinks that meeting the expectations of the person asking you to do the photography, whether as a favor or for pay, is important. Unless of course you don't want to be asked again.

 

[pete hogan]

Most "get" it. They also get to decide what they like. For most, BW might be a curiosity, they don't run into it that often.

 

[kennylovrin]

Actually that's incorrect there is no colour in the world, colour is a perceptual thing that occurs in the viewer 🙂

I think of it like this; if a subject won't be enhanced by using colour use mono.

I believe it can be argued that the world is what you perceive it to be, if you perceive it in color, it is in color. If you perceive it in black and white, it is black and white for you. I think you know what I was trying to say at first there, I was assuming that most people perceive the world as "being in color".

 

[noisycheese]

Am I the only one that thinks that meeting the expectations of the person asking you to do the photography, whether as a favor or for pay, is important. Unless of course you don't want to be asked again.

Uuuuuuh, no:

One thing you might do when photographing for friends or family at no cost to them is to let them know beforehand how you will photograph and what to expect (B&W or color, 4x6 prints or larger size, quantity, JPEG on a thumb drive or hi-res burned to a CD, etc.). If you are photographing primarily for your own purposes, then they need to be content with what you give them. If you are photographing more as a favor to them, you might ask if B&W is okay or if they prefer color or a combination of both.

 

[Nathan King]

1. Black and white photographs more clearly show formal elements of design (line, shape, texture, etc.)
2. Black and white film can easily be processed by the photographer, allowing total artistic control from visualization to framed print.
3. More creative potential because the values are based only on luminance.

A black and white photograph that doesn't exploit one of these concepts tends to be just another gray image.

 

[CliveC]

Am I the only one that thinks that meeting the expectations of the person asking you to do the photography, whether as a favor or for pay, is important. Unless of course you don't want to be asked again.

For pay, definitely, I'm your hired gun, I shoot what you want, how you want.

As a favor though, if they don't tell me how they want things or what they want, I'm going to go ahead and photograph things my way.

I'm not saying this results in the product being worlds apart from their expectations, but yes, I will go black and white on some images if they work better that way. Or favor candids over posed photos.

 

[filmtwit]

My pet peeve is how often folks don't understand the difference between B&W photography and Monochrome photography.

Sigh.

 

[jsrockit]

My pet peeve is how often folks don't understand the difference between B&W photography and Monochrome photography.

Sigh.

Ok, let's hear your definitions for both.

 

[filmtwit]

B&W Photography - a rendering and interpretation of real life color into a B&W space.
Different B&W film stocks see and interpreter the (real) color spectrum differently.
For instance some B&W stocks are more red sensitive while other B&W stocks are more blue sensitive.
Each will interpreter and render these colors into a B&W space differently.

Monochrome Photography - lack of color. Originally color temperature wasn't used to interpret and render a color image into a B&W space. Today programs like Photoshop do have tools that look at and can push color tempts into these space. But because original RAW is color to start with, the original rendering has it's own "look" and "color space" that in turn is interpreted and rendered, but are not the same as film B&W.


Similar, but not the same. It is also the same reason many of us shoot B&W film stock, and when we want color, we shoot digitally. We simply can't get at Monocrome from digital, but we can't really get film/photo B&W.

 

[CliveC]

Black and White is just that, black and white.
Monochrome is a single colour. Those old 1980s computers had green or orange monochrome screens.

 

[jschrader]

I think it takes time to learn to understand any art. Hear your first opera or jazz gig and I don't think you will be impressed.

Color photos are easier to understand because there are more around us. It takes some effort to value b&w.

Most people just do not take the time.

 

[jsrockit]

Black and White is just that, black and white.

and greys no?

Monochrome is a single colour. Those old 1980s computers had green or orange monochrome screens.

This is why I asked... I always thought monochrome was one color / hue.

 

[jsrockit]

Color photos are easier to understand because there are more around us. It takes some effort to value b&w.

But B&W automatically has a "cool" aspect to it being different from most snapshots people take in social situations.

 

[hausen]

My wife often says to me nice photo but you know I don't like B&W🙂 Not sure why I still show her my photos. She was especially perplexed last week when I bought my Monochrom.

 

[filmtwit]

Yes and no.
Yes, you're definition are correct in a general broad sense, but not in a strictly photographic sense. This is because we're talking about monitors here, we're talking about photography.

Black and White is just that, black and white.
Monochrome is a single colour. Those old 1980s computers had green or orange monochrome screens.