The ongoing debate: colour or black & white?

vonnagy said:
Then i switched them to b & w and they gave an entirely different mood:
I think you pretty much answered your question here. For most pictures, I've noticed they can look good in either B&W or color. What it comes down to it the mood and feeling you are trying to convey. There are, however, times when I prefered over the other. For example, if the colors don't work well together or if I want to set a specific mood, etc.

First set:
I like the colors in relation to one another. The goldish building against the blueish clouds have a nice contrast with each other. You kind of lose that in the B&W shot. With the overcast dark lighting and the cloud formations I already get a sense of doom from both. The B&W shot helps to intensify these feelings. Also going from B&W to color changes the focal point of the picture. In the color one the goldish building is the focal point whereas in the B&W it's more of the atmosphere of the picture in relation to the buidling. Hopefully that made any sense. :lol:

Second set:
These pictures are a perfect example of the different moods color and B&W create. The color shot looks rather cheerful especially since you photographed those two flowers along with the rows in the background. The B&W picture looks very dark and moody especially with the darker shades of gray. The once cheerful flowers look like they are almost dead and the anger of the clouds have been brought out with B&W. I hardly noticed the clouds in the colored one.

Last picture:
This is such a great shot! The clouds and the orange hue on the fence really does it for me. It's a great composition you had with the fence stretching most of the picture.

I don't know if that's what you were asking when you wanted us to evaluated color vs B&W, but now that you have read it.... that's 5 minutes out of your life you will never have back! :wink:
 
Thanks Harpper!


I don't know if that's what you were asking when you wanted us to evaluated color vs B&W, but now that you have read it.... that's 5 minutes out of your life you will never have back!

I really apprecite your analysis on that one, thats five more minutes of my in which i've learned a new perspective on something ;)

I guess I'm just really wanted to dig heap and and see why b&w alters the mood so much... i think i might be getting in over my head on this one here (note to chase: we need an over the head smilie). It seems to be a consensus that b&w gives these particular pics a dark foreboding tune, but its prolly not the always the case for every pic. Anyways, thanks for the feedback!

bp22hot, thanks for your views as well!
 
Goodness! Beautiful work! On all accounts.

I might be biased but the BW version of the tower speaks volumes to me. It has a very 'threatening' quality, almost like the gates of h*ll are about to open. Someone noted the reflection of the tower in the pool being cut, I tend to agree. I would have loved to see the reflection of the whole tower in the water of the pool.

Last pic is also haunting! The fence is so beautifully lit, it takes my eyes from right to left. Love it!
 
vonnagy said:
It seems to be a consensus that b&w gives these particular pics a dark foreboding tune, but its prolly not the always the case for every pic.
Nope, because B&W also gives a solitarity mood to it, at least it does for me. For example, the picture you took of the boot on the beach gave me a peaceful solitarity to it. Also that picture had a brighter contrast to it which also helps to set the mood. Your B&W on these pictures are on the rather dark contrast side, which helps give it a foreboding feeling.

Anyway, don't worry about being over your head about this. I think you know more about all this then you care to admit judging from your other B&W pictures. I don't know the exact science to this all either so you are not alone. When I take my pictures I usually don't think about these factors but rather go on my gut insinct. I'm glad you created this thread because I didn't really think deeply about B&W vs color until now. I just knew I had a different feeling for my pictures when they are in B&W vs color. Putting my emotions into words really helped be learned this area more.

Sometimes I think I learn more by critequing others... :wink:
 
For the first one, I prefer the color image over the B&W, though both are great. For the second, I can't make up my mind. Both really put forth their repsective moods. I can see where the last one would probably need to stay in color. They all are amazing shots! I think everyone's covered the details already.
 
Those are excellent shots! The last one is simply amazing, keep posting pictures you definitely keep me motivated! :D

These remind me of some shots I took today, going to go post now. ;)
 
I just HAVE to come back to this thread and these photos, mostly so the last of the set, the "Golden Fence", Mark, because I want to tell you how much nicer it is when it fills the entire screen.
Now I can tell each rose petal from each other and the sky is so much clearer in this high resolution that you mailed me for my wallpaper!
The cloud formation actually has something of a David Caspar Friedrich painting - do you happen to know this painter?
Wonderful.
I feel much inclined to ask you whether I may ask my father-in-law (who does a little bit of late-in-life hobby painting in oil, and he's really good at sky impressions) if he'd want to try himself on "The Golden Fence"!?!?!? This sky might be a nice challenge for him!
 
LaFoto said:
I feel much inclined to ask you whether I may ask my father-in-law (who does a little bit of late-in-life hobby painting in oil, and he's really good at sky impressions) if he'd want to try himself on "The Golden Fence"!?!?!? This sky might be a nice challenge for him!

wow, i am really flattered :blulsh2: :blulsh2:

That sounds fine to me, if he does try to tackle it, make sure send me a copy so i can use that as my wallpaper :D ;)
 

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