Thursday, October 21, 2010

Black and White vs. Color Photos, What Do You See?

In black and white photos, I tend to see more artistic quality in lighting and shadows. I quickly realize and understand the "big picture" or real meaning behind the photograph. Black and white photos give my imagination the opportunity to choose the colors.

On the other hand, color photos show me what is literally in the picture instead of what the true meaning could be. I then begin to notice flaws in the work, and the colors make it much more difficult for me to recognize various contrast and lighting properties.

Here are two versions of the same photo.
Take a look...



After looking at the same photo in color and in black and white, what do you see?
Share your thoughts in the comment space below.

- John

4 comments:

  1. An interesting proposition...even though I am a real 'color' person I love B&W photos...there's just something intangible about them. A mood thta is set maybe. In this pair for instance, I love the saturated yellow of the rose but in B&W I notice all the curling petals and the exquisite detail of the buds...it is so interesting to compare the two.

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  2. I like the yellow... but I sure look better in Black and white. and so Does Paris France... but not Greece. isnt that weird?

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  3. Ooo, lovely photo! I particularly liked the b&w one. The one in colour was just so...straight forward. The first one really showed off the juxtaposition between the flower's delicacy and the brick's texture. I liked how lobster described the bud in the b&w.

    And, ha! I loved cc's observations of Paris and Greece. Spot on!

    Jennifer
    Shades of Pretty

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  4. Thank you for your comments. It sure is fun thinking about the similarities and differences in black and white vs. color photos.

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