Welcome to the first full-length week of this month's Black and White Book Club study of Michael Freeman's The Complete Guide to Black and White Digital Photography (or the Black and White Photography Field Guide). Be sure to read the overview and week 1 posts if you are just joining in. Everyone is welcome to participate, even without a copy of either book, but if you do have the book, you will have more to draw on during the month.
Week 2 (Feb. 3rd-9th) will focus on Black and White Photography as Normality and the photographic styles and subjects of still life, landscape, street, portrait, architecture, and journalism or documentary photography. We will be covering pgs. 24-45/22-43 (optional processing pages: 69-81/66-79).
Black and White as Normality
In these chapters, Freeman presents an historical overview of the progression from black and white to color in photography and focuses in on this counter-intuitive notion that black and white became seen as the normal representation of events and the world, persisting in newspapers through the 1980s. "How and why this happened is worth considering, because the decades of black-and-white 'normality' impressed the monochrome image with a particular strength and legitimacy" (pg. 24/22).
He includes a variety of quotations from famous photographers at the time concerning their thoughts about black and white vs. color photography, including Walker Evans' adaptation, "'Color tends to corrupt photography and absolute color corrupts absolutely'" (pg. 27/27). Looking backwards from our colorized present, do you agree or disagree? We can flip the question from last week and ask, "When and where it would be better to shoot color" (pg. 29/28). Is your default thought color photography or black and white photography? How (or does it) influence how you shoot?
Later chapters continue to push this issue of conscious choice and the perception of what is or is not better suited to black and white compared to color. Freeman presents several side-by-side comparisons of images in both color and black and white to allow a direct comparison. Consider posting a color comparison this week in an extra album so that we can compare the two and think about the relative merits of each.
While the focus of these chapters is on 'normality' and styles of photography such as street, documentary, and journalism photography, you can also take these ideas and apply them more broadly, encompassing topics such as still life, landscape, portrait, and architecture photography. Spend time this week thinking about how your perceptions of 'normal' are influenced or even tricked by the use of black and white for such subjects.
Delving in to "Digital Monochrome" chapters
Based on an informal survey of book club participants on 365project.org, it seems like many of you are planning to post-process your images into black and white (rather than just shooting monochrome in-camera). Section 2: The Digital Monochrome is a section of the book that is not officially 'assigned' for any week but contains a plethora of useful information about digitally manipulating images for black and white output. I will include a few thoughts each week about chapters within this section then for those who post-process.
Initial big ideas from the first few chapters (pgs. 69-81/66-79) include a look at the three different color channels that make up a single image (blue, red, green) and how each channel alone renders a very different version of the image in black and white. Additionally, you can use highlight recovery tools with RAW files to attempt to reconstruct missing (clipped) information in one channel by using information in another channel. One channel can also be prioritized to avoid the digital noise more visible in other channels.
Are you using the three channels differently when you are processing your images? If so, consider sharing which you used (and why) in your image caption or in the comments. This could be a great opportunity for all of us to learn new skills in our processing as well as in all the other aspects of our photography.
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Please consider tagging any photographs related to or inspired by the book club with the tag bw-bookclub and/or adding your photographs and thoughts about them to this post for discussion. Please also consider joining in the book club conversation with photographers outside of 365 by posting comments or images on the book club blog posts at http://www.boostyourphotography.com and/or by joining the Photography Book Club Group on Flickr.
If you are commenting on an individual's photograph, please consider clicking on it and then commenting on it directly. If you want to share a comment, thought, or picture with the whole group, then include it on the discussion thread itself.
Parting words for the week, from Robert Frank, "'Black and white are the colors of photography. To me they symbolize the alternatives of hope and despair to which all mankind is subjected'" (pg. 29/29).
With regard to the processing, I am planning to try (and have been) shooting in Monochrome (and raw) as I find shooting in B&W helps me to concentrate on composition and exposure. Of course, I will also fiddle with the raw image if I need to.
@dibzgreasley I'm tending to shoot in monochrome too as my processing skills are not too hot. I will try some conversions to try and improve there too. Still just a beginner!
@dibzgreasley I'm taking the same approach as you, Debbie. Having my camera set to mono helps me think in black & white on the spot, not as an afterthought.
@archaeofrog Thank you for leading the Bookclub challenge, Katie! I am looking forward to joining it. I may not post every day but am reading along and thinking about B&W this month. I appreciate your time and effort!
@louuncouth@pflaume Aww, thanks for the thanks, Lou and Lisa! I love reading, talking, and learning about photography, and it is so fun to have so many people along for the journey!
Here's my start for the week... it's so interesting playing around with the different channels, especially with these street photography type shots where there are many colors happening... I decided on the blue filter for the first one, to downplay the yellow "safety" strip by the side of the tracks, however in the second one I did the opposite and went for the red filter to use the yellow strip as a leading line to the silhouette.
Interesting chapter this week. I started out as a newspaper photographer shooting and processing B&W, so it is near and dear to my heart. But, while it was the norm, I don't think it was because people loved B&W so much. I think it was just too expensive to process color photos (harder to do in a small in-shop lab) and to print. To print a 4-color photo in a newspaper, you have to have print a layer for each color and they have to be lined up correctly when the paper goes to press. This was difficult and took a lot of time to set up, if it was done by hand instead of my computer. You were also paying to use 5 different inks instead of just black.
@dibzgreasley I'm going back a forth depending on the situation. I have a big event I'm going to on Wednesday, and want to have color pictures of the event, but will convert some of the images to black and white. Today I shot all in black and white.
And here's the color version. My thoughts for comparison are in the description of the color version (today's post)--but what do you guys think? Which appeals to you more?
I've reflected on this process and how I feel about the two shots in the comments accompanying the B&W version. Would be interested to read what others think.
I wouldnt normally shot in B&W but I think this shot compliments monocrome as the sky was so blue. Initially it really distracted your eyes away from the cow.
I did play around with the colours by increasing the green a tad and reducing the blue.
im really pleased with the results, the Book club is (slowly)changing my opionion regarding B&W.
A comparison of color channels - major differences in how things were rendered! It is still confusing me that the blue filter creates a lack of sky, hmm ...
I can't remember if it was from the chapters that I read this week or for the past weekend, but Freeman states that the reason B&W photography has such a hold on people is because of its history as a journalistic medium. While I agree to an extent, I think that a more compelling reason is because it transforms everyday scenes and objects into something almost otherworldly and novel. The majority of people view the world in color, but by removing that color (and all of the emotions attached to it), you remove it from the known and experienced. You're forced to interact with the subject in a different way. I posted a photo I took yesterday of a bouquet of flowers below. The flowers are a mix of bright oranges, pinks, greens, and dark purples. However, by changing the photo to black and white, it occurred to me that color can be a distraction. The beauty of the flowers now is no longer the color but the structure and the textures of the petals, stems, and other parts of the flowers. It forced me to engage with the subject in a totally different way than I might if it were still in color. I think that's the real power, at least for me, it allows me to see and appreciate the world in a different, transformative way. Anyway, that's my two cents. Hopefully it wasn't too rambling.
As discussed earlier in this thread, removing the color takes away a layer of distraction--in the color version, what I stared at first was the way the red roof and the blue sky interact with each other. In the B&W version, I was more entranced by the chipped paint on the roof. Both valid--just two ways of directing the viewer to see what it is you want them to see.
@mace508 It's so interesting because I ALWAYS go for bw, I am very partial to it! But in this case, I LOVE the color photo better. Can't believe i said it. I love the contrast of the red against the blue sky. I also feel you can get more of the details. Great shot either way!
I rather like this image from today - I decreased the amount of blue so the color of the sky darkened and did not blend so much with the snow on the mountains. http://365project.org/cindy_k/365/2014-02-05
@archaeofrog very interested in the impact of what colour filters and something for me to think about... what to use when.. other than just deciding on the spot!!! so much to think about!! and experiment with
@mace508 For me the black and white gave me a stronger emotional pull. The color one gave me this feeling that the road was going somewhere, while in the black and white it felt like it was going off into nowhere. Also the it made the clouds look really cool.
@mace508 roads to somewhere. If i had to choose one - I think in this instance it would be the colour. Reason is the blue sky is a gorgeous contrast to the otherwise cold day. What i like about the b&w however is the emotional response. It makes me feel bleak. Not that this is how i'd like to feel.. but if that makes any sense!!
@andrewkru Thanks! I like it in color too (gosh, that green grass looks nice...I miss that color this time of year!)--but I agree with you that the b&w shot is the stronger of the two. The absence of color really lets you focus on the expressions of the sheep as they stare out at you, and that's what draws you into the photo.
Here's my current shot that I played with. I thought the changes would be subtle when I played with pulling the different colors since this shot was taken through hammered glass and the colors were muted...but by increasing and decreasing the different colors I found I could enhance the background or decrease its intensity...very cool exercise and I look forward to trying this out with all my future shots...got to love learning new stuff...the B&W bookclub rocks!
I love b&w photography and remember the excitment of developing my own images in a darkroom as a teenager...so many reasons to use b&w....nostalgia,dramatic effect, or to enhance textures without distractions of colour etc... I convert a few of my shots to b&w just to compare with colour, sometimes it works, sometimes not.....but I think I would love to join in so here''s one I tried earlier :)
@ourrube hi ruby, on the right side of your photo in your album notice there's Sizes...click " "View All" then copy the "< a href=.... >" details (you can like choose Original) and paste it into your reply so that the image will appear in this thread....hope this helps....
I took this photo today at home. Used the color sliders to bring up the brightness of the lemon. also did a half colored image version. Having fun playing with the color sliders to bring out different parts of the photo, but wish I had a better photo to work with today (home sick today so this is the only photo I took)
This one, though it only has yellow, doesn't look black and white enough to me
This is my attempt today - trying to highlight the different lines and shadows. This was fun as the building in the background was a disgusting bright green.
Heres my snap of the day. I had to shot with high Iso due to the lack of light. As you can see the B&W image really calms the saturation down. A great benefit of shooting in monocrome.
One more shot for "black and white as normality." I considered the question as to what my "default" setting is--I shot in color only for probably ten years before discovering black & white film in college. My college photography course was B&W film only, mostly spent in the darkroom. (Would you believe that the first time the art department offered a "digital photography" course, it was cancelled due to lack of enrollment?) In any case, color is probably my "default setting" just out of old habit, but to me black & white lends a certain authenticity to an image that color doesn't always hold--it makes it more "official," more believable in a sense. Anyway, ramble over Here's my shot.
A couple of mine this week have had a discussion as to whether the b&w or colour version was the better:
This tulip - in both colour and in black and white:
I like the black and white for the added drama that I don't always find flowers have, but that's me.
And this street shot:
where I definitely prefer the black and white. I took another shot that I didn't put up on here where the colour worked better as the palette was so limited.
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Who else is going this way?
and after (today):
I've reflected on this process and how I feel about the two shots in the comments accompanying the B&W version. Would be interested to read what others think.
I did play around with the colours by increasing the green a tad and reducing the blue.
im really pleased with the results, the Book club is (slowly)changing my opionion regarding B&W.
OK, here's my halftone.
i prefer the color as the two main layers work well together. color allows imagination to travel.
As discussed earlier in this thread, removing the color takes away a layer of distraction--in the color version, what I stared at first was the way the red roof and the blue sky interact with each other. In the B&W version, I was more entranced by the chipped paint on the roof. Both valid--just two ways of directing the viewer to see what it is you want them to see.
Heres my photo of the day. It feels more authentic compared to the colour version.
this is todays photo.
http://365project.org/ourrube/2012-random-sho/2014-02-05;
http://365project.org/ourrube/2012-random-sho/2014-02-04;
don't know why the image itself doesn't appear here? can anyone tell me...?
This one, though it only has yellow, doesn't look black and white enough to me
One more shot for "black and white as normality." I considered the question as to what my "default" setting is--I shot in color only for probably ten years before discovering black & white film in college. My college photography course was B&W film only, mostly spent in the darkroom. (Would you believe that the first time the art department offered a "digital photography" course, it was cancelled due to lack of enrollment?) In any case, color is probably my "default setting" just out of old habit, but to me black & white lends a certain authenticity to an image that color doesn't always hold--it makes it more "official," more believable in a sense. Anyway, ramble over Here's my shot.
Had to do some work with choosing a color channel to convert this, as I really wanted to keep the red racing stripe on the car.
This tulip - in both colour and in black and white:
I like the black and white for the added drama that I don't always find flowers have, but that's me.
And this street shot:
where I definitely prefer the black and white. I took another shot that I didn't put up on here where the colour worked better as the palette was so limited.
(in fact a shot of chimneys also divided people)