Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/08/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Steve Barbour showed: the POWER of B&W!!!!! >from today... >22 months old, a little Hopi boy will go home to the >third mesa, on Tuesday >> http://www.leica-gallery.net/barbour/image-86552.html<< Hi Steve mon ami, It's like "WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" What a great example in the "POWER of B&W!" This young boy has far more dramatic feeling to it in B&W compared to the picture in colour! Absolutely illustrates how colours can, will and do distract from content time after time. The look on this young lads face and the power of his eyes is amazing compared to the colour shot of him. If we have doubters in the crowd they better have another look at the two pictures, colour vs. B&W! And there isn't any comparison which is the more powerful in message! It truly is "LIGHT-EYES-CONTENT!" Well done for showing the difference! That's why I've always said photographs of war, strife, poverty and the down and out folks have far greater impact in B&W than colour. My feeling on this has very much to do with the advent of colour TV where we as humans see the killing, death and destruction in colour every day and week of the year on the 6 o'clock news. Therefore we tend to become and have become immune to it due to "It's only TV!" Sure that's a discussion subject, but far closer to the truth than many would admit! But show the same subjects in B&W and it's a whole new ball game. :-( The Marines in the battle for Hue photographs for example.. Look at those in colour on the back of the tanks and others during that time in B&W and it truly is a completely different visual story and feelings created. If one wishes to tell and make a point with and about human beings, the best route always is in B&W! Colour only detracts from the impact, good, bad or ugly. Unless you're selling fancy holiday locations, pretty clothes and cars! And of course always with beautiful people and in particular, "beautiful women!" :-) And if that isn't the case, then why do we see it almost 100% of the time? ted