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Colour or Black & White?

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Andrew Coupe

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A few threads on this forum have touched on the difference between a shot in colour and the same shot in black and white.

Here's a shot I took specifically to be a black & white shot (still can't figure why they left that off the camera) and its colour counterpart.

Which one do you prefer and why? (You're allowed to like/dislike both.)

Comments (good and bad) on the photo itself (apart from the colour issue) are also appreciated.

Black & White:



Colour:



You can see them both at http://www.pbase.com/pinback/experimental ;--pinback
----------
http://www.pbase.com/pinback
 
Bump!?
Sgt. Pinback said:
A few threads on this forum have touched on the difference between
a shot in colour and the same shot in black and white.

Here's a shot I took specifically to be a black & white shot (still
can't figure why they left that off the camera) and its colour
counterpart.

Which one do you prefer and why? (You're allowed to like/dislike
both.)

Comments (good and bad) on the photo itself (apart from the colour
issue) are also appreciated.

Black & White:



Colour:



You can see them both at http://www.pbase.com/pinback/experimental
--
pinback
----------
http://www.pbase.com/pinback
Click to expand...
--pinback---------- http://www.pbase.com/pinback
 
Hey Sarge,

Now question the b&w is better, IMO. The color one just looks like a picture, and doesn't convey anything to me. It is composed well, but the snow is almost gone, and its just kind of a dirty time of year (I'm experiencing the same scenery in Minnesota this time of year). The b&w, however, conveys a desolate kind of lonely feel to it.

Jim
Sgt. Pinback said:
A few threads on this forum have touched on the difference between
a shot in colour and the same shot in black and white.

Here's a shot I took specifically to be a black & white shot (still
can't figure why they left that off the camera) and its colour
counterpart.

Which one do you prefer and why? (You're allowed to like/dislike
both.)

Comments (good and bad) on the photo itself (apart from the colour
issue) are also appreciated.

Black & White:



Colour:



You can see them both at http://www.pbase.com/pinback/experimental
--
pinback
----------
http://www.pbase.com/pinback
Click to expand...
--Jim Fuglestad http://www.pbase.com/jfuglestad/galleries
 
Sgt. Pinback said:
A few threads on this forum have touched on the difference between
a shot in colour and the same shot in black and white.

Here's a shot I took specifically to be a black & white shot (still
can't figure why they left that off the camera) and its colour
counterpart.

Which one do you prefer and why? (You're allowed to like/dislike
both.)

Comments (good and bad) on the photo itself (apart from the colour
issue) are also appreciated.

Black & White:



Colour:



You can see them both at http://www.pbase.com/pinback/experimental
--
pinback
----------
http://www.pbase.com/pinback
Click to expand...
I think the color distracts from the picture in this case . The cool solace is beckoning. I like quiet (B&W) pictures. Composition is superb. Shayron
--ybnormalColor.... It's the pigment of your imagination!
 
Yep, that's a B&W shot... and a very good one at that. The color is a nice photo but what does the color really add... we know the sky is blue...
Sgt. Pinback said:
A few threads on this forum have touched on the difference between
a shot in colour and the same shot in black and white.

Here's a shot I took specifically to be a black & white shot (still
can't figure why they left that off the camera) and its colour
counterpart.
Click to expand...
 
Without a doubt the B&W grabbed my attention over the color.
Sgt. Pinback said:
A few threads on this forum have touched on the difference between
a shot in colour and the same shot in black and white.

Here's a shot I took specifically to be a black & white shot (still
can't figure why they left that off the camera) and its colour
counterpart.

Which one do you prefer and why? (You're allowed to like/dislike
both.)

Comments (good and bad) on the photo itself (apart from the colour
issue) are also appreciated.

Black & White:



Colour:



You can see them both at http://www.pbase.com/pinback/experimental
--
pinback
----------
http://www.pbase.com/pinback
Click to expand...
 
The color image is worthless... no disrespect, but we have all seen a billion pictures of trees in every shape and form and setting. That said, I feel that the black and white gives the image legitimacy... impact value. The story goes from yada,yada (color) to a truely meaningful image. The central theme of your original intent (I'm assuming) is now in focus, instead of blurred by its surroundings. The story may be different for each viewer, but in B/W the image becons for an interpretation.

ScarBoro
Sgt. Pinback said:
A few threads on this forum have touched on the difference between
a shot in colour and the same shot in black and white.

Here's a shot I took specifically to be a black & white shot (still
can't figure why they left that off the camera) and its colour
counterpart.

Which one do you prefer and why? (You're allowed to like/dislike
both.)

Comments (good and bad) on the photo itself (apart from the colour
issue) are also appreciated.

Black & White:
"



"

Colour:
"



"

You can see them both at http://www.pbase.com/pinback/experimental
--
pinback
----------
http://www.pbase.com/pinback
Click to expand...
--§çärßõrö
 
Thanks to all for the kind comments - I feel quite chuffed (That's UK slang for pleased. :-)

So, the obvious question is, what is it about black and white that does this - why does it lend authority to an image (turning it from "worthless" (no offence taken, ScarBoro) to attention-grabbing)? B&W pictures always seem more 'textured' to me, but there's something else too.

Does anybody know if it's anything to do with the way the eye sees? Any pet theories out there? Is it social conditioning?

--pinback---------- http://www.pbase.com/pinback
 
Thanks, Jim. That's what I thought people would say. But why (if it's possible to articulate)?
Shutter said:
Now question the b&w is better, IMO. The color one just looks like
a picture, and doesn't convey anything to me. It is composed well,
but the snow is almost gone, and its just kind of a dirty time of
year (I'm experiencing the same scenery in Minnesota this time of
year). The b&w, however, conveys a desolate kind of lonely feel to
it.

Jim
Sgt. Pinback said:
A few threads on this forum have touched on the difference between
a shot in colour and the same shot in black and white.

Here's a shot I took specifically to be a black & white shot (still
can't figure why they left that off the camera) and its colour
counterpart.

Which one do you prefer and why? (You're allowed to like/dislike
both.)

Comments (good and bad) on the photo itself (apart from the colour
issue) are also appreciated.

Black & White:



Colour:



You can see them both at http://www.pbase.com/pinback/experimental
--
pinback
----------
http://www.pbase.com/pinback
Click to expand...
--
Jim Fuglestad
http://www.pbase.com/jfuglestad/galleries
Click to expand...
--pinback---------- http://www.pbase.com/pinback
 
My personal opinion is that it forces the eye to a focal point. Our eyes are inundated by color constantly, thus when a B/W image presents itself we are drawn to study it more deeply. Our brains "expect" to see color, and when there is absence of color our minds are more intently focused. The lines are crisp and not distracted.

I've often wondered the same thing about beauty. What makes one tree beautiful, and another ugly? Where in our minds is beauty defined? Why is Rosanne considered homely, while Claudia Sheiffer is considered outrageously beautiful? This has always puzzled me. Perhaps the b/w issue is the same way... a mystery of our evolutionary past.

Regards
Steve (ScarBoro)
Sgt. Pinback said:
Thanks to all for the kind comments - I feel quite chuffed (That's
UK slang for pleased. :-)

So, the obvious question is, what is it about black and white
that does this - why does it lend authority to an image (turning it
from "worthless" (no offence taken, ScarBoro) to
attention-grabbing)? B&W pictures always seem more 'textured' to
me, but there's something else too.

Does anybody know if it's anything to do with the way the eye sees?
Any pet theories out there? Is it social conditioning?

--
pinback
----------
http://www.pbase.com/pinback
Click to expand...
--§çärßõrö
 
I believe some elements of the beauty issue (at least in terms of human features) relate back to the golden ratio. But this doesn't explain the B&W question.

I can see your point that a B&W picture provides less information for the brain to process/deal with and so it perhaps is easier to focus on the most important features of the picture.

Interesting, eh?
§çärßõrö said:
I've often wondered the same thing about beauty. What makes one
tree beautiful, and another ugly? Where in our minds is beauty
defined? Why is Rosanne considered homely, while Claudia Sheiffer
is considered outrageously beautiful? This has always puzzled me.
Perhaps the b/w issue is the same way... a mystery of our
evolutionary past.

Regards
Steve (ScarBoro)
Sgt. Pinback said:
Thanks to all for the kind comments - I feel quite chuffed (That's
UK slang for pleased. :-)

So, the obvious question is, what is it about black and white
that does this - why does it lend authority to an image (turning it
from "worthless" (no offence taken, ScarBoro) to
attention-grabbing)? B&W pictures always seem more 'textured' to
me, but there's something else too.

Does anybody know if it's anything to do with the way the eye sees?
Any pet theories out there? Is it social conditioning?

--
pinback
----------
http://www.pbase.com/pinback
Click to expand...
--
§çärßõrö
Click to expand...
--pinback---------- http://www.pbase.com/pinback
 
Ah, the golden ratio. This has also perplexed me... why is it that our mind is so pleased by this specific ratio of form and space? Someone has correlated a mathematical ratio to our preferences, but who can explain WHY it is our preference? Very interesting.

Steve
Sgt. Pinback said:
I can see your point that a B&W picture provides less information
for the brain to process/deal with and so it perhaps is easier to
focus on the most important features of the picture.

Interesting, eh?
§çärßõrö said:
I've often wondered the same thing about beauty. What makes one
tree beautiful, and another ugly? Where in our minds is beauty
defined? Why is Rosanne considered homely, while Claudia Sheiffer
is considered outrageously beautiful? This has always puzzled me.
Perhaps the b/w issue is the same way... a mystery of our
evolutionary past.

Regards
Steve (ScarBoro)
Sgt. Pinback said:
Thanks to all for the kind comments - I feel quite chuffed (That's
UK slang for pleased. :-)

So, the obvious question is, what is it about black and white
that does this - why does it lend authority to an image (turning it
from "worthless" (no offence taken, ScarBoro) to
attention-grabbing)? B&W pictures always seem more 'textured' to
me, but there's something else too.

Does anybody know if it's anything to do with the way the eye sees?
Any pet theories out there? Is it social conditioning?

--
pinback
----------
http://www.pbase.com/pinback
Click to expand...
--
§çärßõrö
Click to expand...
--
pinback
----------
http://www.pbase.com/pinback
Click to expand...
--§çärßõrö
 
Sgt. Pinback said:
I believe some elements of the beauty issue (at least in terms of
human features) relate back to the golden ratio. But this doesn't
explain the B&W question.

I can see your point that a B&W picture provides less information
for the brain to process/deal with and so it perhaps is easier to
focus on the most important features of the picture.
Click to expand...
In line with the last part, it is generally said that whatever elements don't contribute to a photo detract from it. In some photos the color contributes - information, pattern, depth, or whatever - so the color version may be more appealing. In this case, the color didn't add anything in my view, and apparently most others, too, so it improved the picture to have it suppressed.

It does depend on the observers viewpoint, of course. Suppose you took a photograph of your child in a familiar environment. Personally, the colors may contribute to your enjoyment of the photo but viewing it as a photographer you may prefer it in b&w. The way I see this situation is that you have two different 'good' pictures which incidentally arose from the same original photograph.
 
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