Mixing B&W Photos with Color

[ericphelps]

Toward the autumn my wife and I are headed to an adjacent state to do a photo book/show, not certain what to call the results. We have a relative who moved there from Mexico some years ago, and now has a very successful small construction company, but his story is in reality far more complicated. I want to show the surrounding farmland, lots of family and events, and some job sites with his various workers.

My question is whether mixing the B&W's and color images in the resulting format is a bad idea or to be expected. I'm always more comfortable using B&W, though there's much color there to be appreciated also.

Thanks for your thoughts.

[samstevens]

Sure. Mix color and black and white. Give the presentation care and you’ll get it to work. No reason it can’t if you consider juxtapositions, dynamics, and rhythm. 

[ericphelps]

Thanks -

[httpwww.photo.netbarry]

Sure they can mix , exactly as Sam says says. Just give the editing process care.  Will you use film, digital or both?  With digital, and shooting in RAW you have choice for each photo, but film has its own wonderfulnesses as well.

[za33photo]

Of course you can mix them , I am sure that the results will be wonderful , trust your instincts.

 

[ericphelps]

7 hours ago, httpwww.photo.netbarry said:

Sure they can mix , exactly as Sam says says. Just give the editing process care.  Will you use film, digital or both?  With digital, and shooting in RAW you have choice for each photo, but film has its own wonderfulnesses as well.

I folded up the darkroom a few years ago, so it'll be all digital. I shoot all RAW, actually RAF in Fuji speak and this X100F is so small and silent I'm hoping I can do the 'fly on the wall thing' for many sessions.

Thanks!

[ericphelps]

4 hours ago, za33photo said:

Of course you can mix them , I am sure that the results will be wonderful , trust your instincts.

 

Thanks za, it's such a large warm colorful group of people there it's possible that B&W won't be needed, looking forward to it!

[Ricochetrider]

I mix b&w and color shots all the time. I tend to shoot color at more colofrul stuff and choose less colorful for black and white. I mostly shoot film tho but almost always have cameras (or film backs for my Hassy 500cm) loaded with both. Although I'm not loving my Fuji (X Pro 2), I do appreciate the film sim of their Acros 100.    

Edited June 29, 2023 by Ricochetrider

[ericphelps]

Thanks Rico - Yes I drove myself crazy in the darkroom trying for acceptable B&W, then I saw a jpeg from my X100F in Acros and all was lost. At this point the less effort the better. This project will end up a gift to the family there, and I thought when there I'd flash some color shots and B&W on the Mac screen to judge the various reactions.  

[Robin Smith]

I generally don't much like seeing black and white images of a subject mixed with color images of the same subject, although if the shot is very different it can work. I feel the photographer should make the choice to prevent us with the conflict of making the choice ourselves. In other words, you edit it so we know what you like: you are the artist after all. But I have no problem with mixtures of color and black and white otherwise.

[ericphelps]

4 hours ago, Robin Smith said:

I generally don't much like seeing black and white images of a subject mixed with color images of the same subject, although if the shot is very different it can work. I feel the photographer should make the choice to prevent us with the conflict of making the choice ourselves. In other words, you edit it so we know what you like: you are the artist after all. But I have no problem with mixtures of color and black and white otherwise.

Thanks Robin, and I agree. If several initial photos are in color, there should be a good reason to slip in a B&W. And hopefully that decision shouldn't be noticed, just accepted as part of the developing landscape.

[samstevens]

Last night, I watched a movie called Jade, directed by William Friedkin. He used one black and white shot in what was otherwise a very colorful movie. It's after the protagonist's car flips over a few times to conclude a car chase (Friedkin is probably most famous for the car chase in The French Connection). Anyway, as the car is turning over, the camera adopts the perspective of the driver and for a second or two the world he's seeing is in black and white. There's a dissolve to the guy in a hospital bed, the world slowly returning to color as he's coming to.

The point is it's a noticeable and pointed, but still expressive, device. For me, the determining factor wouldn't be whether the black and white photo is noticeable or not, it would be about what its role is in the overall series. There are times when it's pertinent to call attention to something like this. There are also times when it's not. No rule of thumb, in my mind. Use black and white expressively in whatever way the photographer determines works. 

[kmac]

1 hour ago, samstevens said:

Use black and white expressively in whatever way the photographer determines works. 

Some Youtubers use B&W to censor the red color of the blood and guts of a lions prey, segments of B&W in an otherwise color video. The saturation is reduced to B&W to spare sensitive viewers the colorful gory details. But at least it's not blurred out, as in many Youtube vids.

Back to the OP's question ... my opinion is, if the scene is colorful and the subject is enhanced by the color, use color.

If the subject is stark with little color or the color impedes the power of the subject, use B&W, for example, the job sites and workers that you mentioned.

Edited July 1, 2023 by kmac

[samstevens]

1 minute ago, kmac said:

It certainly works for some Youtubers who censor the red color of the blood and guts of a lions prey, segments of B&W in an otherwise color video. The saturation is reduced to B&W to spare sensitive viewers the colorful gory details. But at least it wasn't blurred out, as in many Youtube vids.

Why did you quote me and then post this? Did you think what I was saying had anything to do with censorship or sparing sensitive viewers? Very disingenuous coopting of my words.

[kmac]

I've edited my post best I could to attempt to deflect it away from what you said Sam.

[samstevens]

The best way to have done that would have been not to quote me. Using my words to preface your unrelated comment was unnecessary and added nothing to your point. 

[AlanKlein]

This is an interesting topic. I'm right in the process now of going through all my old pictures both black and white and color, to come up with the ones that I can put in the blurb photo book to reflect my work. It's a thought as to whether I should use all black white or all color or mixture. I'm still going to decide when I curate the pictures after I assemble them. Anyone with suggestions on how you decided and handled this would be appreciated. 

[samstevens]

3 hours ago, AlanKlein said:

how you decided and handled this

One thing I consider is the narrative. What's the series doing/saying and what photos will accomplish what I want. In determining the order of a series, I may look for narrative continuity. I may also think about things like contrast, texture, design, composition. Very often, it's easy to follow a strong contrast color photo with a strong contrast black and white photo. Of course, depending on the rhythm and a potential mood change, I might switch it up, following a more muted color section with a stronger black and white for punctuation or emphasis. Sometimes, there's something very subtle that will suggest a certain juxtaposition, something I can barely name but that just feels right. Atmosphere, mood, intangibility can all be very important in devising what follows what and what's included in a series. I try not always to go for the obvious connections. I think more subliminal connections can provide a deeper experience, both for me in understanding and appreciating my own work and for the viewer. Because a slideshow, a book, or even a gallery wall has a certain progression and rhythm to it, I often think in terms of music. One can be both composer and conductor when creating a series. Once the score is written, the conductor determines what to bring out, what to hold back, what harmonies to emphasize, what discords to allow to percolate, how counterpoint can unmask themes ... There really are endless possibilities, not all of them obvious.

[ericphelps]

4 hours ago, AlanKlein said:

This is an interesting topic. I'm right in the process now of going through all my old pictures both black and white and color, to come up with the ones that I can put in the blurb photo book to reflect my work. It's a thought as to whether I should use all black white or all color or mixture. I'm still going to decide when I curate the pictures after I assemble them. Anyone with suggestions on how you decided and handled this would be appreciated. 

Likely your decision will be easier when you've got them together on the table top as a theme appears. The only time I purposely mixed color and B&W, and still deciding whether it worked or not, was years ago while pouring concrete. The concrete truck's arrival can be a fraught moment for everyone, and much later I edited to B&W a photo of my lead guy's tense determined face. The workers really liked it, perhaps though because he was well liked.