kei n. Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 This is a black and white test shot. I'd like to ask a qestion as well as receive comments to this photo. Does b&w work in a fashion portfolio? Every photographer I've asked (who is working) has said "No." Another photographer said this just the other day and I wanted to get more opinions from others out there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bacsa Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 I love the bright right hand. This has nothing to do with fashion, of course:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricM Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 That sounds like odd advice to me. B&W is in mine, and in every other ?folio I've seen. It's printed in mags and on comp cards. Being able to work in B&W is a demonstration of one's ability. It used to be a bench mark of a photographers strengths, not so much today as it's easier than it was ten years ago, but still necessary. I'd actually frown if all I saw was colour pics in someone's 'folio. Igor is the most knowledgeable regular contributor here, doing lots of fashion testing and mag shooting for the Eastern Europe market, maybe he'll pop in and add his two cents worth. Your photo needs work for a portfolio. If find the subject and background need separation. Whether you extract her in PS and give the background a different contrast and/or a bit of gaus blur, and then tweak her skin tones to perfection, would do a great deal of improvement for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igord Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 Of course it works! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewlamb Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 B/W doesn't work in fashion? Has anyone told Peter Lindbergh this? Allen, if you want to shoot b/w fashion then good luck to you. Of course, colour dominates in fashion photography today but it's not the whole story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_deane Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 Take a look at Vogue or Bizarre etc. There are often b&w fashion images published. So why not in a portfolio? I seem to recall more than a few CK ads in black and white. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_deane Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 I meant Bazar of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewlamb Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 Kevin, I think you meant Bazaar :) W is another mag that publishes a lot of b/w fashion as does Italian Vogue. The latter is always worth looking at for those interested in fashion photography. 10 magazine also publishes a lot of b/w but it's expensive ie 10 pounds sterling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochen_S Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 Triumph does a huge advertising campaign in b&w at the moment. I suppose 80% b&w might be O.K., at 100% everybody might call you colourblind and will suspect you of being unable to do proper white balance, color management or clean enlighting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony_clark Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 My book is about 1/3 black and white. It is timeless and works toned or straight black and white. I'd look objectively at the photographers work that gave you such an opinion. Look at Elle, Vogue, W, GQ, or any mainstream fashion magazine and you will find plenty of black and white fashion spreads and advertising images. Whether it's Tri-x, Plus X, HP5, or the C-41 films, find one that you like and create your own look. Good luck, Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary_watson Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 Moot point, Allen, especially given the ease of desaturating a colour scan or digital image. Whatever works for you and/or your client. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricM Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 Speaking of expensive English fashion mags, has anyone seen Exit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewlamb Posted July 6, 2004 Share Posted July 6, 2004 Eric, Just flicked through the S/S '04 issue of Exit which costs twelve pounds . It's a pretty thick issue with nearly all of it editorial so maybe it isn't unreasonably expensive compared to, say, Italian Vogue. Wide ranging styles of photography including a b/w shoot, called 'Stromboli', featuring Naomi Campbell. Concrete proof that people still use b/w in fashion :) After a cursory glance, lasting all of 90 seconds, I'd say that it's pretty much state of the art in terms of fashion photography but I didn't see anything that you wouldn't expect to see in any of the other style bibles such as Pop. Another, 125, Self Service, 10, Purple etc...... However, it is very nicely printed with a heck of a lot of pages. I might buy it for a closer look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igord Posted July 7, 2004 Share Posted July 7, 2004 I did yesterday b&w almost fashion shot... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denis p Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 interesting submissions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger_michaelson Posted December 29, 2004 Share Posted December 29, 2004 whomever said that B&W doesnt work for a fashion porfolio is talking bollocks. Sorry for the word, but its true. Tell that to Bruce Weber, Avedon, or Testino. It doesnt matter whether is monochrome of colour, the images matter the most. I have seen dozens, hundreds of b&w pictures far better than many outstanding colour ones. I would dare to say that b&w is in many ways better than colour, for we see the world in colour and we tend to look for different things, and notice others when we see a monochromatic image. Good luck in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricM Posted December 29, 2004 Share Posted December 29, 2004 cool, where were you seven months ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grant_. Posted December 30, 2004 Share Posted December 30, 2004 you may wanna do a few searches on <a href="http://www.staleywise.com/collection/von_unwerth_revenge/von_unwerth_revenge.html"> this woman</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grant_. Posted December 30, 2004 Share Posted December 30, 2004 and perhaps youve heard of a young fellow by the name of <a href="http://www.garfnet.org.uk/new_mill/spring98/jpegs/avedon.jpg">avedon?</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andipopescustudio Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Or even Georges Dambier... ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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