[Leica] Color vs B&W

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (tedgrant at shaw.ca)]

This is a topic that can go on in a never ending or the other and how we 
see, don't see, or whatever side of the topic one wishes to be on?

I imagine for the bulk of you, the majority I'd think?  You've  never had a 
position where day after day, year after year you shot all your 
"assignments!" That means earning your income in shooting B&W! Period. There 
wasn't any which way it looked better and you never thought, nor did it ever 
enter your mind any type of comparison. Practically every publication of the 
day was in B&W!

You only saw and were always in awe of LIFE, LOOK, DER STERN, PARIS MATCH or 
whatever favourite news magazine of your day? Your daily newspapers all in 
B&W and that was life.

So much of this colour vs. B&W daily diatribe is truly a waste of 
interesting picture taking time whatever it might be? Whether amateur or 
professional, the assignment generally dictates what it will be shot on or 
what the end result will be? Or in the case of digital, apart from owning a 
Leica Monochrome where B&W is the genre of the day. Regular digital 
exposures are in colour and you can fiddle them any which way in the 
computer as you wish or the assignment dictates. It's satisfying ones own 
gut feelings as you are the only one that counts! That is of course, if you 
don't have to satisfy a "paying for your time and abilities" Photo Editor or 
an AD. (art director)"

Today?  We see images in both colour & B&W and in general re-act to the 
beauty or ugliness of the content! Or at least that's what I thought 
photography was all about?  The content within the image? Power & impact? 
Well depending on subject sometimes dictates which it will be? Colour? Or 
B&W? And whether it's a documentary showing disasters and death? High 
fashion and possibly new cars, cakes and decorated Christmas trees!

So many get off on whether it's colour or B&W, too warm, too cool, 
highlights blown and a dozen other items! When it should be what the 
photograph is all about!  "THE CONTENT!"

And any question of colour / B&W and or content will...........
"NEVER EVER BE SOLVED BY ASKING A COMMITTEE FORMED OF VARYING DEGREES OF 
EXPERIENCE FOR THEIR SUGGESTIONS?" Oh yes, their likes and dislikes!

It's your photograph! So the key person in 99.99% of the time to satisfy 
is..... "YOURSELF!"

So endth the lesson for today. :-)
thank you.
cheers,
Dr. ted :-)