Nikolai's Palace

lauramazzaro:

I hate when people take all their pictures in black and white and think that just because of that the pictures are masterpieces. Lets face it, it is true that it is easier to make pictures in black and white that look more “artistic”. They have an older air that makes them look a certain way, which can be beautiful. But some people just take ALL of their pictures like that. Some people even permanently set their camera to shoot in monochromatic mode. Even when hanging out with family and friends and taking random snapshots they are all B&W. When reviewing the pictures everyone goes “woooow” or “Aaaaaaaah” or “you are a true photographer, this is in-cre-di-ble”, but once you look at the pictures they are regular snapshots, the kind that anybody could have taken with a point and shoot.
It is harder to think of color amongst everything else when composing a picture, you can always turn them into black and white with software if it is going to fit your idea. Don’t get me wrong, I like black and white photography, but I think people sometimes use it the wrong way.

Man, I’m a hater today.
I’ll write a happy post. Promise.

Kind of like Lily :) She only appears in B&W. There are so many photos of her like that, i am coming to think that she is simply made up of only the absence and accumulation of light. But nevertheless you raised an interesting point, i was actually thinking about B&W photography/cinema not so long ago. I do like B&W color production, but in small doses, and with skillful construction (especially in the cinema). Here is how i analyze it: a black and white photo is good for putting objects in the spot light. Since there is no color interference, the eye is bound to look only at shapes, images, and thus it is easier for the artist to channel big chunks of information without unnecessary interruption for the eye. When the color is a component of a photograph there is more magnitude. Thus the eye has to focus not only on the image but also on the colors that comprise it. For me, and i am far from an expert, color photography, when of course done right, is more impressive than B&W, since it requires a sharper eye, better technique and more imagination. In a way B&W photography, at least for me is a sort of … simplification of reality, condensation of information, maybe even a deliberate intent to distort the truth. IDK it is just another way of looking at things, different from what our eyes are used to. I think that is why people consider B&W photos professional, regardless of their artistic quality. I mean we are looking at an image that is seen through a different filter than ours. If we could see black and white, then i would assume that no one would be THAT impressed. The ignorance over appreciation of skill derives from the viewers lack of familiarity with the craft. I bet if you give that black and white photograph that everyone deemed as masterpiece to an aging photographer he will shrug his shoulders. I had that happen to me with music. Someone would come on stage, play really fast, and carried away by applauding crowd. But another musician who observed him would listen and evaluate his work with a professional opinion. Like i don’t know anything about painting. Whatever i say about a big mural will be limited to my present experience with that field, which is none, which is why i will restrain myself from uttering something completely biased and unfounded. :) Everyone can play the guitar, but not everyone can be a musician. Everyone can take photos, but not everyone is a photographer.