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What makes a B&W better than its color version?
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Feb 13, 2024 02:29:33   #
jack schade Loc: La Pine Oregon
 
I have one camera for black and white and one for color. If color enhances the photo or is important to the composition then I will shoot in color. Sometimes I will shoot both black and white and color and make the determination as to which is better in the post processing.

jack

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Feb 13, 2024 04:09:05   #
waegwan Loc: Mae Won Li
 
Linda From Maine wrote:
Here's a group on flickr that I usually participate in. It's a great place to scroll quickly through dozens and dozens, and see what catches your eye. When you stop, ask yourself why??

https://www.flickr.com/groups/donnerstagsmonochrom/pool/

Be adviced that flickr is having site issues at this moment in time, and bunches of pics aren't displaying


Wild Morning Glory by Linda Shorey, on Flickr
Here's a group on flickr that I usually participat... (show quote)


This is nice. Besides being interesting to look at it is a good demonstration of control of depth of field, lighting and angle.

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Feb 13, 2024 07:38:25   #
Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington
 
waegwan wrote:
This is nice. Besides being interesting to look at it is a good demonstration of control of depth of field, lighting and angle.
Thanks much!

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Feb 15, 2024 08:43:35   #
DanF Loc: Wichita, KS
 
I find I’m doing more and more in black and white. Agree that shooting with bw in mind is best and set your camera to show bw. Another thing to try is google pro bw photographers and study their photos. It will be a revelation and generate ideas when you are in the field. Bw photography is a different field, with different rules and can be quite liberating. It’s all about contrast. Want to make the sky black to make your subject pop? Go for it. You are no longer trying to represent what’s real (very little is really bw), you’re just creating an image.

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Feb 15, 2024 09:58:35   #
FunkyL Loc: MD
 
DanF wrote:
I find I’m doing more and more in black and white. Agree that shooting with bw in mind is best and set your camera to show bw. Another thing to try is google pro bw photographers and study their photos. It will be a revelation and generate ideas when you are in the field. Bw photography is a different field, with different rules and can be quite liberating. It’s all about contrast. Want to make the sky black to make your subject pop? Go for it. You are no longer trying to represent what’s real (very little is really bw), you’re just creating an image.
I find I’m doing more and more in black and white.... (show quote)


Thanks, DanF, since I like my color photos to be generally realistic, perhaps I will find B&W liberating as you suggest.

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Feb 23, 2024 14:53:21   #
User ID
 
BW can deliver two opposite effects. In the first pic, I really loved the color version but when I realized that the aspect that I loved was the intense clutter, I realized that the colors were an aid to deciphering the clutter. Soooo ... I decided to remove the color and make the viewer work harder !

The second pic simply demonstrates how thoroughly BW can do the exact opposite of what I described just above. Not new news.


(Download)


(Download)

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Feb 23, 2024 17:25:16   #
FunkyL Loc: MD
 
User ID wrote:
BW can deliver two opposite effects. In the first pic, I really loved the color version but when I realized that the aspect that I loved was the intense clutter, I realized that the colors were an aid to deciphering the clutter. Soooo ... I decided to remove the color and make the viewer work harder !

The second pic simply demonstrates how thoroughly BW can do the exact opposite of what I described just above. Not new news.


Thanks for your thoughts, User ID. I'll add the first one to my mental collection of the kind of shots I think look good in B&W.

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Feb 28, 2024 18:20:55   #
GreenReaper
 
Linda From Maine wrote:
The topic title is not the question to ask. If you are shooting for a black and white result, then you should be removing color from the equation mentally before you select your subject. Don't fall into the trap of comparing.

Instead, start looking for textures, tones, contrast, light and shadow, shapes. Sometimes you want to remove the distraction of color - such as in much of street photography.

If black and white "often seems depressing," you're looking at poorly conceived or executed photos: subject matter or processing.

You've already discovered how similar tones in color become blah in b&w. You've dabbled with color filters in pp, so you've seen how those affect the result. Study "tonal range" further.

If you're shooting in raw, does your camera have a setting that will display the image in black and white (in-camera only)? That can help you learn to see. Sometimes squinting reduces color saturation - that was a tip I learned with b&w film

Analyze the photos that you admire (look beyond UHH). What is it that attracted you?

I don't know of any specific books offhand, but there are tons of YouTube videos and websites with tips.
The topic title is not the question to ask. If you... (show quote)

Excellent!

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