In keeping with your particular style and preferred subject matter in photography,if pressed,could you make a clear choice between shooting in B &W or in color? If so,which one and why?

-- Sheridan Zantis (albada60@hotmail.com), May 24, 2002

Answers

I can't imagine photographing wildlife in B&W.

Western Tanager
Leica R4s, 90mm Summicron-R


-- Douglas Herr (telyt@earthlink.net), May 24, 2002.

Doug:

Very nice photograph!

-- Muhammad Chishty (applemac97@aol.com), May 24, 2002.

I CAN imagine photographing wildlife in B&W. Even with a 35mm lens.



-- Doug Ford (dford@san.rr.com), May 24, 2002.

Looking at both pictures, they are both excellent. Very nice thanks for sharing. Just goes to show, having the right equipment helps, still it's the person behind the camera that counts.

-- Phillip (pp12302@nospamyahoo.com), May 24, 2002.

So now that we've definitvely answered the question with regard to wildlife photography...!

I shoot both, depending on mood, light, and purpose - but if I HAD to pick one over the other I'd shoot color - becasue I can ALWAYS make it black-and-white via Photoshop if I desire.

I saw the following question on another forum (paraphrased) - "If color film had been invented first, would anyone have ever bothered to create B&W film?" Seems like a good corollary question to Sheridan's.

The earliest pre-historic wall paintings contained color - reds, ochres, etc. So "color painting" WAS invented first, in a sense.

But that didn't preclude the invention of black ink and pencils, and lots of great monochrome 'art' has been created in the 10,000 years since, despite the precedent of color.

I've actually seen a 'black-and-white' oil painting, No, NOT Motherwell! - an actual representational 19th-century painting. The artist's name escapes me, but he was a highly-acclaimed Philadelphia society painter and teacher c. 1900 (Thomas Eakins?) It's a tonal study of a coach-and-four, in the collection of the St. Louis art museum.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), May 24, 2002.

I'm of the opinion that the choice between B&W and color should really relate to the driving forces in the particular image. While either can be applied to virtually any image, the compulsion to take the photograph is usually based on a subjective reaction to either the color involved, or the shapes or message of the scene.

All too often, of course, the practical decision is made by what we happen to have in the camera. Planning ahead is preferable.

-- Ralph Barker (rbarker@pacbell.net), May 24, 2002.

When Al Gore and I invented color photography, we weren't thinking about artistic considerations, just business ones. It simply was a practical way for us to put food on our families.

-- Jim Lennon (jim@jmlennon.com), May 24, 2002.

Just beautiful photography. And now, I'm more confused than ever, but Ralph Baker really hit the nail on the head for me.

-- Glenn Travis (leciaddict@hotmail.com), May 24, 2002.

Doug Ford: thanks for the inspiration, I'm taking some B&W with me to Yellowstone next month.

-- Douglas Herr (telyt@earthlink.net), May 24, 2002.

Doug - Post some of the photos when you get back from Yellowstone, I'm real interested in seeing them....did I forget to mention that my photo was taken with the camera held down below waist level while walking towards the birds on the railing? Lucky shot? Obviously. Goodluck with the viewfinder method, it works very well for you.

-- Doug Ford (dford@san.rr.com), May 24, 2002.

Thanks to you both, Douglas and Doug !

Having you both post your work on this subject has been the best possible answer to Sheridan's question.

At present, I have totally adhered to the classical idea that the world is in colours but B&W is more real . . .

Regards, gentlemen

-Iván

-- Iván Barrientos M (ingenieria@simltda.tie.cl), May 25, 2002.

Doug and Douglas,

In no way is the following in any way meant to be negative.... Both pictures are wonderful.

Is it just me, but when I see Douglas Herr's wildlife in color, I think Disney, and when I see Doug Ford's in B&W, I think Hitchcock?

-- David Smith (dssmith3@rmci.net), May 25, 2002.

Wow! Everyone, the photo samples are wonderful. That sea gull shot wouldn't be as powerful in color IMO. Conversley, I'm sure the Lighthouse pic using isolated color would lose something in B&W. Sheridan, you lucky dog, now you have an excuse to buy a second M camera and lens! One for B&W and one for color, because you never know....

-- Marc Williams (mwilliams111313MI@comcast.net), May 25, 2002.

Many thanks for the responses and great images. Regards.

-- Sheridan Zantis (albada60@hotmail.com), May 25, 2002.