So why is it that so many of us adore black and white photographs. Color photographs carry much more information, they are way more popular, they are a newer technology (really, it took many years to go from b&w to color) and digital cameras, if you didn't know, actually shoot pure color.
OK, it's not that simple - the darn digial thingees shoot three channels of black and white and their little internal computers translate the image into color which, if you want b&w, you sort of de-interpret the color back to b&w. Oh gee, there I go again.
Back to the interesting stuff, it seems that many people think they prefer color but as many - your humble writer included - would rather have a b&w. Why is that?
Let's look at the color advantage first - two versions of the same picture. The bride's late in the evening night cap - they made it special for her - we all WOW when we saw it. Pretty obvious that the color one is way more appealing. Why is that?
Click each of the following pictures to see the color version....
In my mind, it's pretty simple, the picture is basically about color alone. Amazing color but that's about it. Easy, huh?
So try the next one.
So what's your impression? Is the color one better? Or does the black & white one work just as well? Well, pretty much although it's not dramatic. Obviously, it depends on the picture, here's another.
Now that one's a set up. The color one has a completely different focus than the black and white one. That's because of the dramatic flower colors. But are the flowers the point of that picture? Nope, it's her dress and the traditional complexity of getting it just right.
Here's another, more subtle one.
So a couple shots won't give you the complete "picture" but they do demonstrate a principal. Color photographs are about the color in the photograph. B&W photographs are pared down, less distractions and have a more focused image about what the picture means, emotionally, informationally and aesthetically. Can a great color picture do that? Of course, it's just harder.
Now don't get me wrong, I have photographs (mine and others') that are color and that I love. However, typically, the main reason I love them is their color. The black & white ones that I love, and there are lots of them, I love because of their emotional content, whether driven by their graphic forms or embedded stories. I'm not always sure why I react this way, but, like many of you, I just do.
Obviously, I haven't fully worked this all out myself, this love I have for the quieter more emotional look of black and white. We'll talk again on this subject.
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