(why) Is black and white photography still taken more seriously than colour?

[Keith]

It's always fascinated me that in the majority of TV shows or movies when someone is taking photos (the various US crime shows are an example) we are often shown the potential image or scene through the viewfinder and then hear the associated DSLR clack as the pic is taken. The still image is then flashed up on our screens briefly to indicate what the camera saw at the moment of exposure ... this image is almost invariably black and white!

Obviously, in spite of the digital revolution, we are not about to leave black and white imaging behind as the true icon of photography. We spend large sums of money on software that converts the perfectly saturated colour images our digital wonders produce ... back to black and white!

Maybe it's a classic case of 'art verses science?'


please don't turn this into a film v digital thread ... it will be consigned to the dungeon 'toute suite!'

 

[benlees]

I would have said the opposite! It seems most stuff, in a contemporary art kind of way, is colour. B&W almost seems passe, or comes with a bit of a cheesy smell!- note I said almost! That said, I shoot mostly b&w mainly because I want to learn the craft side of it in a way that has modest cost! Colour film cost a lot! I could do colour at home but I am lazy!

 

[ebino]

The day a photographer starts thinking which type of photography is more acceptable to the powers that be, namely the pretentious and shallow 'art establishment', that's the last day of him/her as a photographer.

I don't even want to consider whats taken seriously and whats not, my responsibility is to the photographers of before and some that are active at present. And even they seem to just do what they do best.

 

[Keith]

I would have said the opposite! It seems most stuff, in a contemporary art kind of way, is colour. B&W almost seems passe, or comes with a bit of a cheesy smell!- note I said almost! That said, I shoot mostly b&w mainly because I want to learn the craft side of it in a way that has modest cost! Colour film cost a lot! I could do colour at home but I am lazy!

Obviously there are a lot more colour images being shot than black and white these days and you're right about contemporary art ... not much black and white there!

I was commenting more on the powerful connection in our culture between photography and the black and white image ... and the way it still dictates the way photography is portrayed.

 

[wgerrard]

Good point. B&w images would be of little value in a forensics investigation where accurate reproduction is necessary.

When the goal is to isolate one characteristic of a subject color can become a distraction, especially when the subject is another person.

 

[ebino]

A color photo's color balance might mismatch with the film used to shoot the scene so they they usually show the still pictures as b&w.

 

[kdemas]

Interesting topic Keith. I think maybe it has to do with the fact that form and composition can be much more critical in a B&W shot, and as a result possibly create a bit more drama for the viewers mind to process. In color the color itself can be an object of scrutiny, possibly reducing the impact of other elements of the shot.

Or not!! 🙂

 

[Steve Bellayr]

There are a number of reasons. Film Noir was one of the heights of American cinema as crime movies. Most directors have a deep understanding of this format & history. B&W is more gritty. Oftentimes color photos make the viewer see the colors not the scene and an ugly or serious incident becomes joyous because the view concentrates his or her viewing on the brilliant colors. On the other hand B&W can obliterate the grisly image of blood. Consider the Italian Neo-Realism films. How would "Roma: Open City" and the "Bicycle Thief" be view if they were shot in color? In American cinema today films are sometimes shot in B&W and I have viewed films that were shot in both B&W and color. About 20 years ago Turner colorized some B&W films. There were huge protests. The films lost their impact & he desisted. I could say a lot more but, also, I do not want to imply that B&W is better than color. There are certainly motion pictures and photographs that are enhanced by color. When do I shoot in B&W? If the subject matter is lit indoors by incadescent or flourascent light and a flash would be disturbing to the subject, i.e. muscians. High speed B&W with a fast lens works well for me under those conditions. (I haven't moved over to the M9.)

 

[flip]

If "taken seriously" means treated as more than casual, I suppose it is simply a case of doing something that is not the norm. To the extent that anyone strays from the beaten path, they will attract notice. And b&W is a medium burdened with a history ranging to a time when it was not something that could be done casually.

That said, I think there's a good argument that more innovation is taking place in color.
[Who knows, maybe efforts to be innovative in color experimental photography are more easily confused with goof-ups. ;-)]

 

[punkromance]

It's because black and white is art.

 

[Keith]

It's because black and white is art.

Ahh ... so that's why all those crap US forensic police dramas are doing it ... because we all need a little more art in our lives!

😀

 

[sig]

In TV shows it is just an effect to make it easier for the viewer to understand that 'this is a photo'

 

[Pickett Wilson]

I did a gallery show a year or so ago that featured some photos from those I've shot for the newspaper here over the last 10 years on a specific theme. Now, our newspaper has used color photos for years, but a number of people told me they were surprised that my photos were not in black & white, since they were in a gallery. I thought that odd.

There is an "expectation" it seems that photography displayed in an "art setting" will be B&W.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

In TV shows it is just an effect to make it easier for the viewer to understand that 'this is a photo'

I would agree with that statement.

Kind of like in Wizard of Oz: the Color was used for the fantasy, and B&W used for reality. When I was young, I thought they could not afford to shoot the whole thing with color film.

 

[paulfish4570]

If you have to ask, how could you possibly know? 🙂

 

[TaoPhoto]

Actually, in police investigations high contrast B&W was often used for evidence photos. Kodak Technical Pan and the Bluefire films were very popular, as the increased contrast and incredible enlargement capability made them perfect for the courtroom. Many forensic photographers still use film, as it creates an evidentiary trail that is more solid than a digital image can provide.

All that aside, though, I think B&W just looks better. Color has its place, certainly, but a B&W photo lets the imagination run a bit, and it seems to evoke something from a deeper place in my brain than a color photo. B&W is visceral.

 

[Keith]

In TV shows it is just an effect to make it easier for the viewer to understand that 'this is a photo'

Which is my exact point ... the photograph and black & white are like 'peaches and cream' ... 'hot dogs with mustard' etc etc!

There's a connection there that makes it obvious to joe viewer in case he hasn't realised ... 'This is a photograph!'

It's deeply ingrained in our psyche obviously.

 

[sig]

Which is my exact point ... the photograph and black & white are like 'peaches and cream' ... 'hot dogs with mustard' etc etc!

There's a connection there that makes it obvious to joe viewer in case he hasn't realised ... 'This is a photograph!'

It's deeply ingrained in our psyche obviously.

I think it has more to do with make the difference more obvious by using BW.

 

[Leigh Youdale]

I suspect it might have something to do with the fact that these shows are not produced by film cinematographers but by digital video operators and they're stuck in a paradigm that says forensic photos are traditionally shown as B&W prints that indicate gravitas.
However, as I never watch any of these shows I could be well off the mark here.

 

[Keith]

I think it has more to do with make the difference more obvious by using BW.

Agreed sig but they could just give us the shutter sound and show a still ... the average person would still realise it was the shot that had just been taken!

I think it's good that this connection between photography and a black & white is deemed as being important ... it keeps it out there in front of people who's lives are dominated by saturated colours!