Board index Photography Artistic Questions Is black & white more expressive than color?

Artistic Questions

Is black & white more expressive than color?

Discuss style and artistic aspects of photography
genghis45
 
Posts: 5154

Is black & white more expressive than color?

Post Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:18 am


I love black and white. It has an old school soul that is difficult to replicate with color. It strips the photograph down to it's bare essence of line, form, shades and content.

Picture Title:

"LOOKING FOR JILL"

Image
Last edited by genghis45 on Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:00 am, edited 1 time in total.

sean_mcr
 
Posts: 493


Post Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:57 am


It wasn't' really until the 60's that colour began to be taken seriously in the art world. William Eccleston had a large part in showing that colour had it's place

Black & white has always ruled the street photography because most of the greats saw it as a distraction. Most street photographers still feel that way including two of your fellow New Yorkers Markus Hartel and Matt Webber

But then you look at the work of Joel Meyoerowitz, colour is a very important aspect of his work, his colour harmony is amazing when you consider that he's shooting the street where the colours are so diverse it's stunning to see such use of colour. It really depends on how well you can use colour. If it does not aid the photograph it should go

http://www.in-public.com/JoelMeyerowitz/image/1188


This shot would not have been the same photo in colour

Image

genghis45
 
Posts: 5154


Post Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:03 am


I do agree that the optimum quality of an image depends on the subject, and the colors therein. I love color too, but in a different way. This shot would not been quiet as dramatic in color:

Image

genghis45
 
Posts: 5154


Post Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:16 am


sean_mcr wrote:
But then you look at the work of Joel Meyoerowitz, colour is a very important aspect of his work, his colour harmony is amazing when you consider that he's shooting the street where the colours are so diverse it's stunning to see such use of colour. It really depends on how well you can use colour. If it does not aid the photograph it should go

http://www.in-public.com/JoelMeyerowitz/image/1188



I dig Meyerowitz' pics--thanks for the link. The "human density" effect that he created with the first photo, I tried to make with this black and white picture. This was taken with a 55mm lens. I did a ton of dodging and burning in this image.

Picture Title:

"WELCOME TO MANHATTAN"

Image

jellophoto
 
Posts: 192


Post Tue Jun 12, 2007 5:51 pm


Very interesting question Scott. I particularly like black and white and especially duotones. I think it does lend drama to a scene. In this multicoloured world I often find myself visually overloaded by the colour data in a picture and intentionally strip out the colour on a less is more basis. Having said that I think the success of a colour image is largely dependant on the combination of colours. Certain colours just jar when in the same image, whereas some contrasting colours do work very well.

I also take the view that you can often improve an image after it is shot by stripping away the colour data, which is contrary to the view of many of the posts on these forums, but then beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Regards John

sean_mcr
 
Posts: 493


Post Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:15 pm


genghis45 wrote:
sean_mcr wrote:
But then you look at the work of Joel Meyoerowitz, colour is a very important aspect of his work, his colour harmony is amazing when you consider that he's shooting the street where the colours are so diverse it's stunning to see such use of colour. It really depends on how well you can use colour. If it does not aid the photograph it should go

http://www.in-public.com/JoelMeyerowitz/image/1188



I dig Meyerowitz' pics--thanks for the link. The "human density" effect that he created with the first photo, I tried to make with this black and white picture. This was taken with a 55mm lens. I did a ton of dodging and burning in this image.

Picture Title:

"WELCOME TO MANHATTAN"

Image



Yes scott you can only really get that look with a short lens, it's says you're there amongst it, living and breathing the same air. I know that zooms can be fun. but there's very few street photographers that have made there name with a tele


Image

genghis45
 
Posts: 5154


Post Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:44 am


sean_mcr wrote:
Yes scott you can only really get that look with a short lens, it's says you're there amongst it, living and breathing the same air. I know that zooms can be fun. but there's very few street photographers that have made there name with a tele


Image


I love all of the focal lengths that I use, and they all have their own individualistic attributes. I also love the compressed look that I get from my 200mm, which I was able to simulate somewhat with "Welcome To Manhattan" shot with the 55mm by shooting at f/11. Here's another shot with a short lens.

Picture Title:

"LUNCH HOUR"

Image

A different attribute I dig with shooting with a long lens is the shallow depth of field I get from shooting wide open and focusing on a subject in the foreground. This can be quite visually striking, like this:

Picture Title:

"WAITING FOR GODOT"

Image

There can be a tendancy for photographers to become dogmatic with regard to what is "acceptable" in a shooting genre. I stay away from that.
I shoot and rotate with a 12mm, 20mm, 55mm and the 200mm---and I don't assign any of those focal lengths to any specific type of subject. Whatever presents itself in front of a given lens, I shoot if I find it of interest.
Last edited by genghis45 on Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:54 am, edited 1 time in total.

sheila
 
Posts: 1303


Post Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:52 am


OK. I'll bite :D

Image

A recent shoot I did for an aged care centre. Care to comment anyone?

Cheers
Sheila
Sheila Smart
Canon 5D Mark III; 17-40L; 24-70 f/2.8L; 70-300 f.4-5.6 L USM; 135 f/2L; 100 f/2.8 macro; 8-15 f/4 L fisheye

Blog: http://sheilasmartphotography.blogspot.com/

genghis45
 
Posts: 5154


Post Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:57 am


sheila wrote:OK. I'll bite :D

Image

A recent shoot I did for an aged care centre. Care to comment anyone?

Cheers
Sheila


That's highly expressive, and probably wouldn't be as effective in color.

genghis45
 
Posts: 5154


Post Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:00 am


jellophoto wrote:Very interesting question Scott. I particularly like black and white and especially duotones. I think it does lend drama to a scene. In this multicoloured world I often find myself visually overloaded by the colour data in a picture and intentionally strip out the colour on a less is more basis. Having said that I think the success of a colour image is largely dependant on the combination of colours. Certain colours just jar when in the same image, whereas some contrasting colours do work very well.

I also take the view that you can often improve an image after it is shot by stripping away the colour data, which is contrary to the view of many of the posts on these forums, but then beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Regards John


John, I couldn't agree more. There's something so attractive about subtracting the obvious allure of color. It forces the photographer to reach down deep for more meaning in a more fundamental way.

sean_mcr
 
Posts: 493


Post Wed Jun 13, 2007 12:38 pm


I do recall the debate we had on tele's a couple of months ago so i know your stance as i'm sure you know mine Scott. So we wont rake over that old ground


But yes my heart lies in black and white photography, i do enjoy colour photographs i think Steve Mccurry is the finest colour shooter on the planet; Few can match him in my opinion

http://www.stevemccurry.com/main.php

antorug
 
Posts: 4493


Post Wed Jun 13, 2007 3:54 pm



sean_mcr
 
Posts: 493


Post Wed Jun 13, 2007 5:12 pm


Martha Casnave is a great portrait photographer.

Some really good work here containing portaits of Ansal Adams, John Szarkowski and other well known faces of the photography world

http://marthacasanave.com/port.html

madlights
 
Posts: 914


Post Wed Jun 13, 2007 5:39 pm


I think B+W has a certain impact and clarity of purpose that you can't get in many cases with color. Think it sort of defines something in a different way...since at times color "can" be extraneous in my opinion. But then again...if color is about "color" that changes the issue to me. Nice photos in this thread.

sheila
 
Posts: 1303


Post Thu Jun 14, 2007 7:31 am


And a somewhat abstract (tables and chairs from above)

Image

More mono here http://www.pbase.com/sheila/bw

Sheila
Sheila Smart
Canon 5D Mark III; 17-40L; 24-70 f/2.8L; 70-300 f.4-5.6 L USM; 135 f/2L; 100 f/2.8 macro; 8-15 f/4 L fisheye

Blog: http://sheilasmartphotography.blogspot.com/

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