Do you get tired of black and white?

[dmr]

Actually, I go the other direction. I work with color most of the time and shoot B&W when I feel the need for a change.

I can appreciate B&W. However, for the past 20 years or so I've done almost nothing but color, and yes, almost always color print film.

I learned on B&W. When I was younger I wished I could have shot more color, but I couldn't afford it. It was really the processing that seemed to be expensive. For a while I did slides and had the ones that I liked printed, but that never really worked out. I also liked to (and still do) shoot in low/available light, and back then there were really no good high-speed color films.

For a while I was really in to the emphasized-grain high-contrast, shoot right into the sun B&W shot.

I'll occasionally make a B&W print from a color photo. Yes, I'll experiment with the various "virtual filters" to see what they can do before I make any final prints.

 

[TPPhotog]

I sometimes get tempted to try my hand at hand colouring some of my B&W prints, does that count?

 

[Little Prince]

"I use color film if I want to show you something and I use B&W film if I want to tell you something."

Wow! Wayne, well said. You must make that your signature at least. Someday, when I have some good photos, I'll use that on someone 😎 .

 

[kiev4a]

"I use color film if I want to show you something and I use B&W film if I want to tell you something."

That is the best comparison of B&W v. color I have ever heard. Wish I had said it.

 

[hoot]

Sure, I feel the urge to chase a few color rolls through my cameras every few weeks. Black and white is usually perfect for my street photography, but at times I come across an Egglestonian street scene and really wish for some color. Since I like shooting medium format, though, the price of buying MF color film (be it negative or slide) and having it developed is so daunting that I always revert to black and white out of plain need.

Anyway, while I believe there will always be a small, lucrative niche for old-school black and white that's self-developed and self-printed, most uses of color film will probably be made obsolete by digital photography in the coming years. So when the right digicam comes around one day (small body, a brilliant fast lens, simple operation, manual control, no lag, an image quality to rival film, and relatively cheap price), I think it could just become a nice complement to the rangefinder loaded with black and white film.

 

[ray_g]

Nice pics, Ray. Summaron?

Thanks, Gabriel. They were actually taken with a 50mm Hexanon.

 

[Richard Black]

I use both, color for most family shots and B&W for what I want. However, my favorite family shot is my grandson taken with a J9 wide open on C-41 printed B&W. The oof area is stunning and the rest is really quite nice. A young, under 30, female with two small children has been bringing in photos of her children taken with a Canon SLR in B&W. The comments by other young parents has been a delight to hear. Where did you get those neat photos...I helped her learn how to use the Canon and something about framing and she has learned well. But the point is young people appreciate B&W. I expect the others will buy some Kodak BW400CN real soon.

 

[doubs43]

I shoot mostly B&W which I find to be more expressive than color in most situations. I do run the occassional roll of color film through but not often. Here's a recent picture I took in color. The film is Agfa rated at 200 and badged as "Walgreens", a drug store chain.

Walker

 

[vincentbenoit]

I'm colour blind...

 

[FrankS]

Colour for family snaps, B+W for my stuff. B+W gives me complete control over the whole process - film developing and image printing, something I do not have with colour.

 

[Justin Low]

Whenever I get the urge to try color slides, I remind myself of the trip I'd have to make to the pro lab in town to get the roll processed, and the second trip to collect said roll. It takes me an hour each way.

With black and white film, I'd have them processed and hanging to dry within a half hour, and I can cut them down in three.

Besides, Tri-X is relatively cheap here, at S$43 for a 100' tin.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Besides, Tri-X is relatively cheap here, at S$43 for a 100' tin.

Relatively?? That is cheap! I'm lucky if I find it for $43 US, or a 36 exp roll for less than $3.50 US.

 

[Doug]

Walker, did you post that "apple" photo before in B&W? Seem to remember that it looked kinda dull, but here in color it works much better I think.

 

[kiev4a]

Relatively?? That is cheap! I'm lucky if I find it for $43 US, or a 36 exp roll for less than $3.50 US.

You can get 100-foot rolls from B&Hphoto for $29.95

 

[taffer]

I usually dress in black so it's pretty clear that I'm no much of a colorful guy 😀

And I can process it at home 🙄

But I like color when in fact color IS the subject.