B & W vs. Color

[TheOlderGuy]

Both mediums certainly have their pros and cons.
the vividness of color, the real lifeness of color.
the heightened contrast and emphasis on shape that
a good black and white brings to art.

what are your preferences?

 

[princess4u]

like u said - they both have their pros and cons - but i think the black and white world is more "selective" - in my opinion, not every pic can be enjoyed in b&w while all (well at least most) pics can be enjoyed in color - a b&w needs a certain emphasis - the composition needs to be able to make a statement on its own without the aid of color - b&w photos "speak" to me

i am hard-pressed to make a choice between the two - in my opinion, they are two separate genres of photos ~

 

[Pechorin]

I'm with you Princess.

For me a well lit and composed black and white photo of say a nude will always appeal to me more than its colour equivalent.

But a photo of say an autumnal moor covered in vivid purple heather just has to be in colour.

Like on this board there are good and bad examples of both. My favourite at the moment is sexy-girl's av. Superb.

 

[Kiwi Couple]

B&W rocks!

FWIW, b&w is our medium of choice. Using b&w forces you to concentrate on form, shape, texture instead of colour which distracts. B&W makes you see things that evoke an almost tactile response. Think of a picture of a soft thigh, draped with a black silk sheet...almost makes you feel the silk sliding over the skin...

<clink, clink> $0.02 deposited.

 

[Kandi]

hey old guy

i guess i'm just echoing everyone else's thoughts here,
including your own, that black and white kicks ass
because of the contrast, and emphasis on shapes
and textures, and cause it's black and white

and then there are shots (like mine) that just beg
to be in color, cause the color adds fullness and life
to it. of course, in different lighting i guess i could
kick some ass in black and white as well

oh, and by the way, that is one kick ass b&w you posted here.
thanks so much for the view

 

[weathered2]

Done well, I think the B&W really has something extra. If you've seen the stuff by Mae13, Aaron697, and Rothgar, you know what I mean. When I was a pretty serious amateur photographer I attempted B&W enough to know it presents extra challenges to make it come out well. My hat is off, (not to mention some other things that occasionally happen), to those who do it well, including those (forgive me) I failed to mention.

 

[quilesed]

this thread is not for me.

 

[TheOlderGuy]

i love both mediums
but they are so different to work with
i miss having a darkroom set up
so that i can work my own b&w's
don't miss the stench of the chemicals tho

 

[Rothgar]

...If you've seen the stuff by Mae13, Aaron697, and Rothgar, you know what I mean...

Thank you for noticing. I tend to be in agreement with the majority here. Both genres have something unique to offer. Color offers more realism where B&W lends itself to more dramatic images...sometimes, that is, not always. Being an amature photographer most of my life, I have always gravitated toward B&W. It's the medium in which I find the most opportunity for expression. It's not that I don't like color photography...I just don't like MY color photography.

Rothgar

 

[TheOlderGuy]

great photos rock

 

[ElusivButterfly]

Both mediums certainly have their pros and cons.
the vividness of color, the real lifeness of color.
the heightened contrast and emphasis on shape that
a good black and white brings to art.

what are your preferences?

Would you like photos here...both b/w and then the color versions? I like both but depends on subject...not all photos look good in b/w and vice versa

BTW...LTNS

 

[TheOlderGuy]

Would you like photos here...both b/w and then the color versions? I like both but depends on subject...not all photos look good in b/w and vice versa

BTW...LTNS

of course we want photos. what's the down side?

thanks. nice to see you too NTSYT

 

[olivia drake]

Black and white for me mostly...I like the mood and the allure of it...I think color distracts....I do some color also...I am also a fan of Sepia....