Brain processes - B&W images vs. color.

[gungajim]

<p>Here is a brief take by a psychiatrist/photographer on differences in the way our brains' process B&W images vs. color.<br>

<a href="http://chaotos.wordpress.com/2008/11/22/why-black-and-white-images/">http://chaotos.wordpress.com/2008/11/22/why-black-and-white-images/</a></p>

 

[lex_jenkins]

<p>A bit disappointing. The premise starts out well enough but rather than a fully informed essay it turns out to be just another blog entry with vague notions, half-considered opinions and cites no sources, so the background as a psychiatrist/photographer turns out to offer little to inform the few paragraphs. The observations show more influences of metaphysics than psychiatry.</p>

<p>A potentially interesting topic, but not because of anything I read in that blog. I suspect regulars on this forum may have far more interesting observations.</p>

[Craig_Cooper11664875449]

<p>A much more entertaining and factual presentation of how imagery is interpreted by the brain can be seen here http://www.nyas.org/ebriefreps/ebrief/000500/presentations/livingstone/player.html</p>

[jtk]

<p>Craig, that's a fascinating link, thanks. Stimulating ideas, well expressed.</p>

 

[kristina_kraft]

<p>Craig,<br>

it was very stimulating to hear how human brain sees and visualizes. It is a hot topic. The topic about Mona Lisa was a real discovery for me. But I couldn't see how she changes the expression of a smile at such a short time. I'll look again.</p>

[AJHingel]

<p>I agree with the previous comments, the link of Craig is really interesting not necessarily because of an interest in how the brain works but because it tells in an easy and understandable way how colours interact and functions visually. An essential knowledge for photo composition. I'll look into the link of GungaJim too. Thanks to both of you.</p>

[wayne_phillips1]

<p>Hello everyone! I am new to this forum and would like to thank Gunga Jim for pointing me here.<br>

I appreciate your comments. I also think the link from Margaret Livingston, who does research in this field, was facinating and very useful.<br>

I was very interested in stimulating more of a discussion about the practical aspects of choosing black and white versus color in digital photraphy.<br>

Any personal discussion about how the forum members here would be greatly appreciated.<br>

Wayne Phillips (Chaotos)<br>

Boulder, Colorado</p>

[keith selmes]

<p>The case of the colour blinded painter might be interesting.<br>

<a href="http://www.cleanlanguage.co.uk/Sacks.html">http://www.cleanlanguage.co.uk/Sacks.html</a></p>

<p>Some general discussion on why we like B&W ongoing at<a href="http://www.ephotozine.com/topic/t-69336/p-0"> Ephotozine</a></p>

 

[wayne_phillips1]

<p>I'm back, having had a chance to listen carefully to Dr. Livingstone's lecture about how color information is processed in the visual pathway. I have a hypothesis which I will try to develope more fully later in my blog.<br>

For those of you without time to listen to the whole lecture, black and white or luminance information travels in an evolutionarily ancient pathway ending in the parietal cortex. It is called the "Where" pathway and contains information about location, movement, contrast, and depth. Color information follows a more evolutionarily modern pathway called the "What" pathway to processing areas in the temporal lobes. The What pathway contains the kind of information needed for pattern recognition, the recognition of faces, etc. It is likely it also contains much emotional information as the temporal lobes are involved in processing emotion while the parietal lobes, in general, are not. (For instance, people with partial complex temporal lobe seizures may have attacks of rage or other emotions.)<br>

Now consider the fact that if the brain is missing information, it is very good at "filling in the blanks." The most dramatic example of this is phantom limb syndrome in which people will experience pain or other sensations in amputated limbs.<br>

My hypothesis is this. Looking at a black and white photograph, we have where information but not what information. (Of course this is not strictly true, since there is a great deal of cross-talk). So we are stimulated to use our imagination to fill in the blanks. In particular, we are more likely to impart our own emotional content and context.<br>

This would explain why people describe b&w images as more timeless, mysterious, and strangely more emotional.<br>

Reactions welcomed,<br><div></div>

[kristina_kraft]

<p>Wayne,<br>

So this is an image that I photographed after my boyfriend broke up with me. A black and white inanimate objects. I could not find a meaning in a colored photograph any more, as I've been always photographing in colors.<br>

http://www.photo.net/photo/8551997<br>

I like your <em>Power Place</em> . Showing a full black and white tonalities.</p>

 

[wayne_phillips1]

<p>Wow! I love your images ... I need to find some more time to look at them.<br>

The one from your link is also amusing. I think if yourex-boyfriend knew what he was missing he would be turned to stone!<br>

Harry Potter gave me the courage to do a series of spooky pictures of my grandchildren. This is one of them. I called the series "Wizzardlings".<br>

I am shifting more to B&W but I still find images in which the color seems critical to mood.<br>

Wayne</p>

[kristina_kraft]

<p>Thanks Wayne,<br>

yes, Harry Potter can give you a great influence to create something. I like him also and other characters.</p>

[doug elick]

<p>I would posit that the beauty and/or fascination with B&W photographs doesn't come from what our minds have to fill in so much as the distractions that are stripped away when color is omitted.</p>

<p>On an instinctual level, I find that B&W images convey the mood/emotion/aura of an point in time better than their color counterparts in most cases. I would also add that in my experience, the most impactful color images are those that are visually simple, if not stark.</p>

<p>Doug</p>

[wayne_phillips1]

<p>Doug, thanks for your observations.<br>

Many people describe color as distracting in photographs. For me the exceptions are images in which the color is part of the point of the photograph, or adds important visual information. In the end I go by the "feel" of the picture. But I am thinking of B&W more as time goes bye even though it adds an extra step in processing.<br>

When I posted this question on the pbase nikon d200 forum, most people described black and white as being more "timeless". I am not sure this is incompatable with your comment about capturing the aura of a point in time. Something about time ...<br>

Wayne</p>

[doug elick]

<p>I'm not sure "distraction" was quite the right word. I think a better way to describe it would be to say stripping the color away allows a more singular focus. Light, shape, tone, grain, sharpness, mood... color is another layer on top of these. </p>

<p>I think it's akin to the way we can make a compelling two dimensional representations of the 3D world. ...compelling monochromatic images of a colorful world.</p>

<p>Doug</p>

[wayne_phillips1]

<p>I want to thank everyone who participated in this thread. I thought some of you might be interested to know it inspired a followup post in my blog:<br>

http://chaotos.wordpress.com/2009/03/08/black-and-white-photography-explained/<br>

Wayne</p>

[michael_dimarzio]

<p>Late to the thread, but 't's a subject taht interests me. From teh article-<br>

I suspect the lack of color information disrupts this normal mental processing. The information reaching our awareness has not been properly screened and edited, Our perceptions become more primitive and more real, We become consciously involved in pondering the mood and meaning of the particular instant which our camera has captured in time.<br>

This is ony one idea. If you have others please share them.</p>

<p>All a bit esoteric for my taste. I feel that the human response to b+w lies in biology. Rod and cones, b+w is processed first in the rod of the eye, what happens after that I don't really care, but I'm glad it does.</p>

<p>It's rather interesting that we can fool a few millenia of evolution by looking at b+w image in day light, when is a color filled world.</p>

<p>I started a thread a few years ago, asking why we like b+w. I was told by a user named Sewer Physics (not his real name, but close) that I didn't know anything. Actually, that was one of the last times on this forum, I can't believe I just posted here again.</p>

<p>Hey Denver dude, it's a worthwhile thread, one that will never be explored on PN.</p>

[charleseagan]

<p>I think since we don't normally see in black and white, it forces the viewer to look at other elements, like shape, texture, detail. It amazes me how much more vivid a good black and white photo is. It's almost like color upstages the other elements of a photograph and are lost as secondary supporting elements.</p>