msbarnes
Well-known
I have a love/hate relationship with color.
I usually shoot black and white film but I sometimes shoot color. When I shoot color I'm blown away only initially but then I go back to black and white. I feel that color is almost a "visual effect", which is something that I personally try to avoid.
How do you feel about color? I'm talking about color as an element of imagery--not the feasible or practical nature (economy, printing, variety, latitude and etc.).
My application is film but I guess people who shoot digital make choices too (but oftentimes they get both for free).
I usually shoot black and white film but I sometimes shoot color. When I shoot color I'm blown away only initially but then I go back to black and white. I feel that color is almost a "visual effect", which is something that I personally try to avoid.
How do you feel about color? I'm talking about color as an element of imagery--not the feasible or practical nature (economy, printing, variety, latitude and etc.).
My application is film but I guess people who shoot digital make choices too (but oftentimes they get both for free).
gns
Well-known
To me, B&W is more of a visual effect, being less like what we see and more of an abstraction. Especially these days when color is so ubiquitous.
msbarnes
Well-known
Oh and to be clear I don't mean to look down upon color or anything like that. My word selection was poor as anything can be perceived as a visual effect. It just seems to take too much attention sometimes.
gns
Well-known
Understood, and I agree. I like both. No value judgement on my part either.
Lauffray
Invisible Cities
Well color may be ubiquitous but that doesn't make it more or less interesting in my opinion. In fact I find there's maybe too much of it to make a good picture, just because a picture is colorful doesn't make it a good color picture (if that makes any sense)
Dunn
Well-known
I feel very similar to you. I've always primarily done black and white, but then sometimes I feel like I'm "suppose" to shoot color. And I've made some great color images but it's the black and white ones that really mean something to me long after.
I don't like mixing black and white and color either. If I'm shooting something specific I want all the photos to have the same look. But it can work against me, once I was at a cockfight photographing in black and white and just outside of the gathering area was an area covered with feathers and blood from previous fights. I took a photo, but in black and white you can't really tell what it is. I just looks like a weird ground.
Brad Bireley
Well-known
Also because a photo is b&w doesn't make it a good photo either.
Yes, the way I feel too. But I'm comfortable with color.
I agree. Many people try to polish "turds" by turning them from color to B&W. The bottom line is that both good (great) color and B&W takes work and BOTH are ubiquitous at this point in the medium's history.
Lauffray
Invisible Cities
Of course not. What I meant is that if there's a lot of colors in a picture, it doesn't make a good *color* picture. Making a good picture in color is a step harder than making a good picture because you have an extra dimension to compose with.
dave lackey
Veteran
Well, I have cameras dedicated to black and white and one or two for color. When I changed to Portra 160 last week, I had been shooting TriX for so long in the Leica R4 + 80 Lux that I forgot and subsequently shot a half dozen frames before I realized I was looking at the motif all wrong for color! It works better when I put a portion of the film box top in the hot shoe so I can see it when I pick up the camera.
Still, with the X1, I use color 99% of the time because it renders it so well.
It makes a huge difference for me because some things just don't work as well in black and white ... and then the reverse is true.
It is just hard to go from full-time TriX or Delta 100 to color sometimes.
Classique
Well-known
I like color. Color enables the photographer another element that can add or subtract from the image.
I used to mostly shoot color because that is what I had available and black and white merely served as an alternative to convert the images to in times of bad lighting. However, ever since I started shooting B&W also, I realize that black and white is a whole another world for expression. Since different colors are absent, replaced by vast shades of gray between black and white, one can focus more on the image and the form within.
My opinion is that color is more forgiving in composition or overall structure of the image since the colors themselves serve as part of the subject. However, getting to that "right" color is the difficult part.
All in all, I think there is place for both color and black and white images but I myself adjust my thinking accordingly when shooting.
I used to mostly shoot color because that is what I had available and black and white merely served as an alternative to convert the images to in times of bad lighting. However, ever since I started shooting B&W also, I realize that black and white is a whole another world for expression. Since different colors are absent, replaced by vast shades of gray between black and white, one can focus more on the image and the form within.
My opinion is that color is more forgiving in composition or overall structure of the image since the colors themselves serve as part of the subject. However, getting to that "right" color is the difficult part.
All in all, I think there is place for both color and black and white images but I myself adjust my thinking accordingly when shooting.
cosmonaut
Well-known
It depends. Some subjects to me just don't work in B&W. Lots of foliage to me looks flat and lacks tone.
Some landscapes just work better in color. But then again B&W works best for other pictures.
I find it limiting to put all my eggs in one basket.
Some landscapes just work better in color. But then again B&W works best for other pictures.
I find it limiting to put all my eggs in one basket.
Sejanus.Aelianus
Veteran
Polished coprolite can go for surprisingly good prices, you know.
Murchu
Well-known
I love both, but when shooting solely film a few years ago, shot only b&w as it was more affordable & convenient for me with processing at home. Would hate to have to choose one or the other, and love work in both mediums.
Biggles
My cup runneth amok.
I shoot black & white film for 99% of my recreational photography, because I find I'm naturally drawn to shape and line. And, I like the inherent potential starkness of black & white pictures. Occasionally, though, I'll see someone or something and think, "I'd totally shoot that if I had color film in the camera." And sometimes I'll dig out the iPhone and fire up its camera.
Color presses different photographic triggers in me.
I love looking at good color pictures taken by others. Go figure.
Color presses different photographic triggers in me.
I love looking at good color pictures taken by others. Go figure.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Sums up my own thoughts nicely. The colour my DP2M produces blows me away ... then I convert the file to black and white and I feel more comfortable with what I see.
Jamie Pillers
Skeptic
My thought about color is a question. When is it best to use color? When B&W? I've never got a good grip on this. I generally like using color media more, just because my eye enjoys looking at the colored world. For me, one of the HUGE benefits of digital photography is that I can change my mind after I make the image. And the current crop of image processing software makes this transformation a pleasure to look at.
I do feel, as some others have said here, that B&W can be overused. It has the potential to add drama where none actually existed. I find that using color for street photography forces me to be much more honest with myself about the significance of a street scene; more considerate about whether the scene is actually worth photographing, or is it just attractive because of the color element.
I do feel, as some others have said here, that B&W can be overused. It has the potential to add drama where none actually existed. I find that using color for street photography forces me to be much more honest with myself about the significance of a street scene; more considerate about whether the scene is actually worth photographing, or is it just attractive because of the color element.
Richard G
Veteran
Colour is harder to shoot well. It's a different sort of photography. I like the challenge. Seldom succeed.
kxl
Social Documentary
These turds HAD to be polished these IR photos are "turdish" in color straight form the camera. I had a "vision" for each photo and polished accordingly. It's nice to have options.
daveleo
what?
Colors have an immediate emotional impact on me.
The pallet of colors in (of ?) a picture sets my first emotional impression of what I am looking at.
Colors add other dimensions to an image, but of course, those dimensions
may distract me or even degrade my opinion of the image.
It is possible that most street photography is in grayscale because the
(uncontrollable) colors of the moment detract from the picture. (That is
speculation on my part.)
The pallet of colors in (of ?) a picture sets my first emotional impression of what I am looking at.
Colors add other dimensions to an image, but of course, those dimensions
may distract me or even degrade my opinion of the image.
It is possible that most street photography is in grayscale because the
(uncontrollable) colors of the moment detract from the picture. (That is
speculation on my part.)