Why does BW give pleasure to my eye?

<p><em>"Arthur, I meant it doesn't wash for me. Sorry not to have made that more clear."</em></p>

<p>Fred, <strong>on the contrary</strong>, it was absolutely clear. And of course, it was received as the opinion of Fred, which, as I ventured to mention, is but one of many in this OP that are quite subjective, equally sincere, and not authoritative opinions (a matter of taste is hardly authoritative), that I am happy to respect as being different from mine, or others.</p>

<p>Josh, I think all art is a communication medium, as is reporting, whether it be visually or through words, although the use of art (including B&W or colour photography) may be intentionally descriptive, or not at all. But the communication is always there, unless the photography is done without connection to viewers.</p>

<p>Black and white has many aesthetic's, and I wouldn't compare a Robert Frank aesthetic with an acoustic guitar (or with an acoustic anything ) but more with a highly distorted electrical one. There's a subtle melody in that too.</p>

<p>I wouldn't compare Frank to an instrument but I would compare his work to that of certain musicians. For example, maybe it's like Bob Dylan's? (would that be the acoustic Bob or the electric?)</p>

<p>When a skilled writer wants full-scale emotional responses he uses analogy because it's the most precise way to create understanding...even though it's inherently imperfect (or because the inherent imperfection is necessary to triangulation).</p>

<p>Therefore (arguably) it makes more sense to compare B&W to acoustic than to electric. But of course, that's only true if you actually play guitar or make prints. Someone who doesn't is fantasizing about someone else's aesthetic realm...nothing can replace playing or printing. I don't think a person who cannot draw can fully appreciate Picasso...they tend to write about him instead.</p>

<p>Me, I print B&W mostly (currently anyway) and I play a couple of acoustic styles on appropriate instruments (e.g. dreadnought and Selmer-style Dupont). I know for sure that color delivers what I'm after sometimes, but not just now...and I'm yearning for a Telecaster because my Ibanez George Benson is neither adequately acoustic nor adequately electric.</p>

<p>http://www.ibanez.com/HollowBodyGuitars/model-GB10</p>

<p>http://www.rumbleseatmusic.com/guitar%20pic%20pages/53FenderTeleWAG.html</p>

<p>http://www.acoustic-guitars.com/guitares-jazz-manouche.php</p>

<p>There's Elvis in b&w and there's Elvis in color, <em>that's</em> the difference between b&w and color.</p>

<p>A comment on Fred's statement that he often finds color more rewarding in some way. </p>

<p>As someone who works mostly in B&W and is familiar with the work Fred has posted over several years, I think B&W renditions of most of his fine color images would actually be inferior, not just less rewarding.</p>

<p>Why?</p>

<p>Because it looks to me like he usually envisions the images in color when he makes the exposures. It's what he wants. I have no doubt that he could switch gears before exposure, envisioning B&W...but I don't think many of his existing files could switch as well afterward. The medium is flexible, but I don't think we're at our best as photographers when we don't follow through with what we intended when we made the exposure. </p>

<p>My own experience: 1) I do usually previsualize* B&W 2) If the resulting file seems more beautiful in color than in B&W that's fine, but since beauty isn't central to my work it means the image is in some way untrue, not fully mine...therefore I don't print it.</p>

<p>* by "previsualize B&W" I mean that I know (imagine) before exposure roughly how the image will look when I print it B&W. It's the imaginative part of Zone System that's missed by people who think it's all about tonal control.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I think it's because it's a simplified look to our own world. We see it as normal but it has an otherworldly feel to it. I also I think I enjoy it because I think that colour is over used, I think colour should be used to complement the composition of a photograph or a certain feel, like the work of Saul leiter. <br>

I enjoy looking at black and white photos more and I enjoy taking them more. </p>

<p>Black and white is to colour what poetry is to prose.</p>