Colour in the streets

[Allen Herbert]

Well, street photography has always been about B/W , from today, and yesterday.. Colour, was stifled for 50 years and even today photographers use B/W and preferably film.

Is this a snobbish Art or, does B/W capture the essence of the street removing distracting colour. 

 

[Allen Herbert]

11 minutes ago, Allen Herbert said:

 

The question is are their any street photographers who use colour, who walk among the masters ,other than just also runs.

 

 

Edited January 14, 2023 by Allen Herbert

[Sanford]

9 minutes ago, Allen Herbert said:

Is this a snobbish Art or, does B/W capture the essence of the street removing distracting colour. 

Yes.

[Allen Herbert]

In the real world, the brush and canvas, is considered the greater Art, than a mere photograph. Also, in the real world,  is not a  B/W image, particularly processed with film of the greater Art.

Musing

 

[Allen Herbert]

Does the process, also divine the Art.

[glen_h]

Some Pasadena street corner at midnight. Might be Ektachrome 400, as that might be why it is available light.

The blue color from mercury lamps gives it a look that black and white wouldn't.

[httpwww.photo.netbarry]

On 1/14/2023 at 12:46 PM, Allen Herbert said:

Well, street photography has always been about B/W , from today, and yesterday.. Colour, was stifled for 50 years and even today photographers use B/W and preferably film.

Is this a snobbish Art or, does B/W capture the essence of the street removing distracting colour. 

 

Hmmm I think going back to Eggleston and Meyerwitz  plus the proliferation of really good photographers such as many Magnum Photo for instance, working in color have long broken that barrier. Personally, I've never felt a need to choose between them other than how I felt and thought about what I was doing photo wise.   B/W does have a certain soul for sure, at least I think it does and it does bring forth certain qualities in a different way then color because it does strip away all that bandwidth and reduce the considerations to certain essentials.  But color has its own charms and can add a richness to street photographs and a level of expressiveness different than B/W but still compelling.  So I fall on the side that would say to insist that only B/W can capture the essence of street photography would be "snobbish".  

It may be that many of us who looked at earlier street photography were mostly exposed to B/W photographers and that has conditioned our perception of what "real" street photography is, though I've moved away from the labeling of photography.  Strangely if I shoot a landscape, I still think of it as a "street" photo.  Though I am really thinking about going back to film. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Allen Herbert]

Hmm,

" really good photographers such as many Magnum Photo for instance, working in color have long broken that barrier" Barry.

Yet, the value of prints in b/w, today or yesterday, far exceed the value of prints in colour. Simple fact. Particularly if they were taken with film. Real world.

Of course the argument will be it is about the Art., regardless of process Tell that to Leonardo di Vinci or many other masters. who developed their own processes. 

[ed_farmer]

Street photography WAS mostly restricted to B&W for a long time because of the lack of high speed color films.  But, I think that the idea that color has been "shut out" is pure nonsense.  Price sales are not the way to judge, particularly when vintage prints are involved.  For one, in many cases they are older but also because a great many were printed by the photographer which adds to the value.

[Allen Herbert]

 

" But, I think that the idea that color has been "shut out" is pure nonsense" ed-farmer

You may think that but the actual reality is very different.

So, one Photographer shoots in B/W film with a Leica camera or Hasselblad, and offers high quality Platinum Prints, from B/W film. Another shoots colour, iPhone Photographs, printed digitally.

Whose website would be the most successful?

[ed_farmer]

1 hour ago, Allen Herbert said:

So, one Photographer shoots in B/W film with a Leica camera or Hasselblad, and offers high quality Platinum Prints, from B/W film. Another shoots colour, iPhone Photographs, printed digitally.

Whose website would be the most successful?

First, success of a "website" doesn't define who is "in or out" . . . 

More importantly, ANY photographer producing platinum prints, from a Leica, Hassy, view camera or Holga, is likely able to charge more for their photography than anyone making color prints (dye transfer excluded) is going to command.  This has NOTHING to do with street photography.

[Allen Herbert]

 

 This has NOTHING to do with street photography."

Really? yet HCB also took colour photos ....rarely viewed : it was always about his B/W photos.

Methinks, with all due respect, you are not a street photographer. having little understanding of street photography.

[Allen Herbert]

Ask Leonardo de Vinci, or, Michelangelo, if the process was an important part of their Art. 

So, does BW photography lend itself to the Art of street photography, by removing the distracting colour elements, and taking us to the soul of the image.

 

[JDMvW]

https://www.songfacts.com/lyrics/bing-crosby/swinging-on-a-star

[Allen Herbert]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you calling me a pig, because I posted some thoughts? Your video implies it.

Yet, I've always been civil to you. Have you thought of responding to the post in a civil constructive way?

We can all be nasty.

[JDMvW]

21 hours ago, Allen Herbert said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you calling me a pig, because I posted some thoughts?

if that is addressed to me, it did not apply to you, but to the "what kind of tree would you choose to be" tone of the whole thread.

This song is not about you.

[machts gut]

There certainly is street photography in colour. Look at the amazing work of Helen Levitt, who worked in b&w and in colour, Saul Leiter, Paul Graham and Martin Parr. Meyerowitz has already been named.

[Dustin McAmera]

 

59 minutes ago, JDMvW said:

This song is not about you.

 

Maybe Grey Street ? 🎶😁

[Allen Herbert]

"This song is not about you" JDM

Fair enough. But your actually thoughts would be more interesting.. Don't you think? Or, am I not worthy?

Dustin, contribute....you are not just about a simple song. .Contribute to the discussion.

So, for street photography, is not the superior medium B/W. ? And yes, their are many successful street who work in colour.. But in the real commercial world, the value of their prints  have little value compared with those who work with  B/W photography and film.

Really, it is about the commercial,, and decides what works or not.

[Dustin McAmera]

'Black-and-white is better than colour' is an old conversation, isn't it? 'Film is better than digital' is another one.

First you asked

On 1/14/2023 at 8:53 PM, Allen Herbert said:

The question is are their any street photographers who use colour, who walk among the masters ,other than just also runs.

and other posters answered; yes there are.

Then you moved the goalposts: to be good isn't enough:

3 hours ago, Allen Herbert said:

Really, it is about the commercial, success, and that decides what works or not.

 

Really? So.. Vivian Maier never sold any photos and died poor; what a lousy photographer she must have been.

Don't be told what you should admire by the rich and the art museums. Decide for yourself what photographs are good. If you prefer black-and-white, go ahead and work with it and look at it, but don't tell everyone else what they may like.

[Nick D.]

Oh my, they just were using what was possible to print.  Color was more complicated, newspapers couldn't print colors those days.

Fred Herzog was always shooting Kodakchrom, but couldn't print it.

There wasn't internet in best days of HCB, so to get published it must be B/W.

[Nick D.]

And speaking of pricing: 

"The art world was abuzz last week after Andreas Gursky’s photograph Rhein II sold at auction for a ground-breaking $4.3 million. "

It's color photo. 

[machts gut]

On 2/5/2023 at 9:31 PM, Allen Herbert said:

And yes, their are many successful street who work in colour.. But in the real commercial world, the value of their prints  have little value compared with those who work with  B/W photography and film.

Really, it is about the commercial,, and decides what works or not.

Can you give an example of what you mean by "the real commercial world"?

[c_watson1]

Explore the work of Fred Herzog sometime and see Kodachrome used for street in Vancouver.

[Allen Herbert]

"Really, it is about the commercial, success, and that decides what works or not" Members

Unless you live in a fairy world (love to have little wings to flutter around with) it really is about commercial success.

Art is a business, not any different from any other business. They decide what is Art.

Really that simple. And when they decide what is Art; you will also believe that is Art.