Black and White Street Photography.

[peteradownunder]

Leaving aside the most important fact of personal preference well summarized by Lutz ..<p>If one is making photographic paintings - one will of course benefit from using a colourful pallette. If one is making photographs one can use colour or B&W or any combination in between, and any choice says nothing about whether the photograph is forward or backward 'looking' - photographs don't say much actually - the viewer responds or doesn't - according to preference.<p> No I don't want to argue about the difference between a photographic painting and a photograph ..

[sam_motskin]

I do not understand why Scherba attempts to impose his views so categorically. We are not in Russia or Ukraine. Rembrandt's etchings are not less great (or some think even greater) than his paintings. He was a master of both media and nobody told him that he should not do B&W etchings. On the contrary they sold very well.

[sprouty]

</I>

Guilty in this way...

<P>

<I>If a person aims to participate in a popular genre by producing B&W work, it is most often due to cliche thinking on behalf of that person.</I>

<P>

It didn't take much critical thought to figure out that this was true with respect to myself. And given the comments often posted, I'm inclined to agree with Eugene that the choice of color vs. B&W is not often made with consideration to how it supports the message of the image.

[tim gray]

Possibly true. At the same time, since this is just a hobby for me, when I go out for the

afternoon with my camera, I have no idea what I'm going to be shooting. Unless I was

shooting digital or color and making the decision after the fact (which I don't like doing), I

never quite know what the 'messages' of the images are going to be that I'm going to

take. I put that in quotes because most of these images are just pleasing to me, not

necessarily message-oriented. Thus, whether or not B&W (or color) supports the

message... I don't conform the choice of color vs B&W to the image/message, I conform

the image/message to the choice I made while loading the camera. It still works.

 

In other words, I am conscious of what's in my camera (usually B&W) and I shoot images

that I think will look good in B&W, and if there is a message involved, one that is well

supported with the decision to shoot in B&W. Likewise with color - images shot are ones

with color in mind. This mindset means that sometimes I see what might be a nice

picture, but I don't take it - oops, I've got the wrong film in my camera. No big deal.

 

I would imagine when I get a fancy digital camera some day, I will go out with the mindset

that I'm shooting color or B&W, and pretty much shoot that on a given day, with the secret

knowledge that if I stumble upon a truly great picture for the other palette, I can still get

it.

 

I've yet to take a picture of stunning fall foliage (message or not) with B&W - I usually wait

until there is color in the camera.

 

One last thing - when I'm taking a picture like informal portraits of a friends around the

house - does it really matter color or B&W? I'd say no for the most part if what you end up

with looks nice. Of course, there's not much 'message' involved, but no matter, I have a

nice picture of a friend.

[eugene_scherba]

<p>Mr. Motskin, you really like to bring up ethnic issues while discussing completely

unrelated topics, don't you? To prove my point, here is an excerpt from your post on <a

href="/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00NNT4">Nov 24, 2007; 03:19 p.m.</a>: "I

wonder why no photojournalist documented mass murders of Serbs in Kraina province of

Croatia and the total destruction of the serbian population in Kosovo."</p>

 

<p>You also seem to be a big fan of HCB. Is your other name <a href="/shared/community-

member?user_id=470625">Michael Bender</a>, by any chance?</p>

[robert_m_johnson]

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/robert_m_johnson/2084465136/" title="Fall

by Robert_M_Johnson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2039/

2084465136_2c59c23326_o.jpg" width="802" height="536" alt="Fall" /></a>

[eugene_scherba]

Although some of the images posted in this thread are quite beautiful, I really wish people

linked to them instead of embedding them within the page's content.

[sam_motskin]

"you really like to bring up ethnic issues" Hmm.., interesting statement. Looks like a paranoid statement of someone with a skeleton in his closet. Just proves my point that Scherba is intolerant to criticism and attempts to impose his view on everybody. This is unacceptable. And this is exactly what happens in Russia and Ukraine. But on to the subject at hand. I feel the discussion about B&W vs color image making is silly. Both have existed for many centuries as paintings, drawings, etchings, prints, and today also photography. Personally I feel B&W documentary photography is more dramatic and powerful but I'm not going to tell others to toe the line or declare it "degenerate art". It all boils down to the eye behind the camera.

[eugene_scherba]

Wow, just wow. First, Ukraine is a developing democracy; second, it doesn't have anything to

do with this thread.

[amorteguy]

It looks like someone forgot to close the italics code above. Everything is now in italics. I'll do it here. </i></em>

 

<p>Now about my use of comments above (now way above due to the amount of discussion on this thread), I paid for this damn keyboard and I'll use "my" quotes anytime "I" want to. Even if my punctuation "stinks." "Live" with it.</p>

 

<p>My final comment on B&W is this: I like it. I use it. I prefer it. I don't have the time to lurk around this post and debate endlessly it's merits. It is interesting to see the the polarized opinions that this topic reveals. Very strong opinions these.</p>

[amorteguy]

<i>Now about my use of comments above</i>

<p>Now about my use of <i>quotes</i> above - is what I meant. Sorry. It's late.</p>

[ray .]

It's not the form, it's what you do with it.

 

Color can be just as cliche'. It's all in how it's handled.

[eugene_scherba]

<p>> <i>It's not the form, it's what you do with it. Color can be just as cliche'</i></p>

 

<p>Of course, but sometimes form helps perpetuate cliche.</p>