For me the hardest 'artistic' choice - Colour or Black & White

[Lilserenity]

Hiya,

I'm just about wrapping up my current project (sorta, the taking pictures is done, the book is done, now I just have to sell the books, no small job in itself) and that was all done in colour. Perhaps a little by accident really, I just wanted to take some Kodachromes and I did, nothing more than that. And by the time the project became a book I had too much colour work to then say, this would have more impact in black and white.

Which brings on another thing -- unless its a mix of a photographer's work spanning many years, I tend to believe that a book is more successful if it sticks to colour, or it sticks to black and white and doesn't mix it up. The exception for me would be something like Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen's Byker Revisited where the book includes many of her late 60s/1970s photos of the area too, which are B&W compared to the modern day colour. Maybe I am being too rigid!

I am tempted to say this is an advantage to digital, the ability to change the photo (if you have shot RAW I guess.)

Anyway, as I'm still in the film camp (but considering my options, I need to get an AF SLR, and depending how well my book goes, maybe a DSLR -- don't worry, I'll probably shoot all my landscapes still on the OMs and Autocord) I am at the starting point again of a new project.

To me the discussions about which lens, or even which 50mm or which camera are neither here nor there in my photography, if it's a decent camera and decent lens then it's good enough for me. But to start a project in say black and white, and then decide that actually this would work better in colour is such a difficult choice, and whilst you can convert your colour into black and white afterwards, it's just not quite the same.

I think I'm being too rigid, or perhaps just a little hard on myself in trying to get it right first time.

(The next project involves a fairly linear distance 40 miles -- enough basically, and I don't want to have to go back.)

Actually now I have written this, it's explained a lot of the silly knots I am tying myself in, it was so much easier embarking on things by accident and being clueless as to what I was letting myself in for, now that I consciously doing this, it's become all the more harder!

But does anybody else agree that this can actually be the toughest choice when setting out to do a series of work?

 

[J. Borger]

No, I think B&W is a commitment. Seeing afterwards if a picture works best in color or B&W is a way i never worked.
Why do not you scan your colorpictures and convert them to B&W in PS or with one of the dedicated programms for B&W conversions loke SilverEfex? If you shot in color you have the same options as the digital guys. If you shot B&W it would be a diffetent story.
Leaves you only with the question if colorfilm converted to B&W is the real thing ... but the same question rises for B&W conversions of raw files.

 

[fixbones]

I agree that shooting black and white is a commitment.
I shoot film only.
The notion of shooting colour first then later convert to black and white during scanning has never worked for me....whether film or digital. I compose very differently when shooting colour or B & W.
I noticed I tend to get sub par results (maybe it is just me) both with colour and B & W images if I shoot colour with the intention of maybe converting to B & W later.

Nowadays, I stick to either colour OR B & W.... mostly B & W thought. Much easier mentally I find.

 

[Haigh]

Simple for me. I do b&w because most of my colour shots are pretty bad. I just don't have the skill for colour.

 

[FalseDigital]

If you're not sure, shoot in color and convert to b/w if needed. Better to have the option available to you than not. Works well with both color film and digital.

Here's a photo I shot with color film (kodak gold 200) and converted into b/w in photoshop.


Untitled by Graham Meyer, on Flickr

 

[oftheherd]

I never was satisfied with my color being converted to b/w. I do think some photos have more impact in b/w, and if I think a shot I want will be that way, then I want to photograph it in b/w to start with. I have carried two bodies, changed rolls in mid-roll, or carried a camera that had interchangable backs. And that has sometimes been from color to b/w, or b/w to color. But that is just me. And of course you must take into consideration I do very little photography any more due to lack of time, and never sold photos to make money.

I can see the ecomomy of time and effort deciding that a project will be color or b/w only. I can also see that an expected clientel might prefer one or the other. I just can't see myself being happy if I didn't have the option when taking photos. I can't speak for you or anyone else.

 

[jsrockit]

With film, use two cameras ...one with B&W and one with Color. This is digital's advantage... you can decide after the fact.

 

[Steve M.]

Yep, use two cameras. That's the way to go. But you have to be able to see the shots differently for color and B&W, which is why some photographers don't use two cameras w/ different film at the same time. Shooting color, you just shoot what you see, but w/ B&W you have to see how your color scene is going to look in B&W, meaning you'll have to remember that the reds and greens will be similar in values, while in color they may look totally different from each other. W/ B&W, you're after tonal range and contrast differences, while w/ color it's all there in front of you.

I nearly always shoot B&W, which is sort of stupid since I live in New Mexico. The colors here are exclusive to the Southwest, and I love them. If I shoot color landscapes and aren't shooting w/ MF or LF, then I use a digital P&S. Looks good to me, or good enough anyway. For B&W I really have to shoot film, and love it.

 

[xxloverxx]

I find that most of my colour shots are of sunset, sunrise or some moment where the colour was special. Otherwise, everything else I shoot is in B&W…not a conscious decision anymore — it's become a habit to see in B&W.

Sticking to B&W for a project wouldn't be a problem for me, I don't think…I only have 1 folder of colour photos on my site, but I'm on my 3rd folder of B&W photos.

 

[FalseDigital]

With film, use two cameras ...one with B&W and one with Color. This is digital's advantage... you can decide after the fact.

I think it greatly depends on what he's exactly shooting. If it's on the street you don't always have the option of taking two shots of the same thing. Therefore I still stick to my recommendation of shooting in color and converting later in post if necessary.

Also having an extra camera for the sake of option is one more thing to distract you from what's important, the shot. If it's a good image it shouldn't make a difference.

 

[jsrockit]

I think it greatly depends on what he's exactly shooting. If it's on the street you don't always have the option of taking two shots of the same thing. Therefore I still stick to my recommendation of shooting in color and converting later in post if necessary.

Also having an extra camera for the sake of option is one more thing to distract you from what's important, the shot. If it's a good image it shouldn't make a difference.

I agree completely...which is why I shoot digital only. However, I was just trying to give an alternative.

 

[Bob Michaels]

.....................................
But does anybody else agree that this can actually be the toughest choice when setting out to do a series of work?

It is not a tough choice for me. I will always have done some preliminary poking around and photos before a series starts. By the time I get serious about doing a series, I always have it firmly in mind if it should be b&w or color. I am always striving to reduce or eliminate all those film type / camera / lens variables so I can focus on content.

My situation is simpler because ten years ago I gave up on making individual images of significance.

 

[claacct]

The toughest choice to make is being honest to oneself about one's quality of work.

 

[J. Borger]

One camera with color and one with b&w film😱
geez what about the Minds Eye. That sounds like an approach for vacaton snapshots at the most to me.

 

[jsrockit]

One camera with color and one with b&w film😱
geez what about the Minds Eye. That sounds like an approach for vacaton snapshots at the most to me.

Huh? many pros did this for many years...

 

[furcafe]

It's really not that hard, @ least for me. I carry 2 cameras all the time, not just on vacation, though often they'll be different types of cameras or media, e.g., digital v. film or fast film v. slow film, not B&W v. color. If I am working w/both color & B&W of the same or similar ISO, I can usually previsualize whether a shot will work better in 1 or the other. Of course, there are many shots that could work either way, so I'll either shoot in 1 medium & get on w/my life or take a color shot for the reasons mentioned above by others. For maximum flexibility, digital is the way to go because raw files don't have much of a native look.

One camera with color and one with b&w film😱
geez what about the Minds Eye. That sounds like an approach for vacaton snapshots at the most to me.

 

[FrankS]

It is not a tough choice for me. I will always have done some preliminary poking around and photos before a series starts. By the time I get serious about doing a series, I always have it firmly in mind if it should be b&w or color. I am always striving to reduce or eliminate all those film type / camera / lens variables so I can focus on content.

My situation is simpler because ten years ago I gave up on making individual images of significance.

Every now and then there are pearls to be found on RFF.
Dangerous (in a good way) ideas that go to the core.

 

[Roger Hicks]

If it's a hard choice, you're asking the wrong questions.

WHY are you shooting? And for whom?

Cheers,

R

 

[Lilserenity]

Some really interesting responses so far.

I also shoot differently when I am shooting black and white, things that would work in colour just don't work in the same way with black and white. So I am very much aware of that.

In terms of using two cameras, I think when I scope out the project either later this year or early next that's exactly what I will do, it's a good suggestion; especially as I have two OM2n's which levels the whole playing field.

I absolutely agree on not making pictures of individual significance, this is something I have really picked up on. Besides, I get greater enjoyment at looking through a series of pictures than just looking at one in isolation.

I'm not sure I am asking myself the wrong questions, I am only shooting for myself and why? God only knows, compelled to do it 🙂 In the end the pictures may just languish somewhere, maybe I'll do another book, I don't really know.

I have no real issue with conversion from colour, I think you can if shot like for like when trying to get a B&W pic get improved results from a B&W film shot vs. the colour converted one, but it's not such a margin that detracts from the picture for me.

So it looks like we all have tough nuts to crack from now and then.

And finally yes one of the toughest things is being honest about your own work, I have done a lot of thinking about that of late too, and how I can up my game, I'm not happy settling down into this comfortable place I have carved out for myself over the past few years.

Vicky