Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/05/24

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Subject: [Leica] color vs bw images...
From: hoppyman at bigpond.net.au (Geoff Hopkinson)
Date: Sat May 24 18:29:41 2008
References: <81641D69-B2AB-485F-9C37-011850B2F5E0@cox.net><200805242311.AQP99563@rg4.comporium.net> <E6EB89CD-9C97-41B6-8AF9-ABDFD7543F7A@cox.net>

Steve I understand your comment regarding visualizing the scene as suitable
for BW or colour. (not that I can do it well at all). But shooting Raw, what
purpose is served by two cameras? If you look at the scene and can think, oh
the tones or content work best for one or the other, you make the exposure
as you want and then process accordingly at the end. Some stuff naturally
will work as either, some less so. No advantage at all by capturing as a jpg
BW except for file size and you limit your processing/exposure choices after
the fact. Unless you don't want to deal with processing Raw, for whatever
reason, I guess.

Cheers
Geoff
http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman/e
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/gh/

-----Original Message-----
Subject: Re: [Leica] color vs bw images...


On May 24, 2008, at 4:11 PM, Tina Manley wrote:

> At 05:57 PM 5/24/2008, you wrote:
>> perhaps, if all this holds truth, this may be causing you to be less
>> convinced of your end goals, the resulting images being less
>> convincing as well...
>>
>>
>> Steve
>
> Steve -  Thanks for your comments.  For me, it's probably more of a  
> digital vs film thing.  Back when I used film, one camera had color  
> film and one had B&W and I was always aware of the difference.  I  
> also almost always preferred B&W.  At that time, the end purpose of  
> the photos was to convince people to give money or support to the  
> agencies I was working with.  B&W was more convincing.  Now with  
> digital, everything starts out as color so I have a choice once I  
> download the photos and start to process them.  I still like B&W but  
> the end purpose of the photos has also changed.  Now I'm leasing  
> photos through several agencies.  I have never had a request for a  
> B&W stock photo.  All of the publishers want color.  If they decide  
> to use B&W, they want to convert it themselves.  They want the  
> choice, too.
>
> In the case of Guatemala and India, the colors in both countries are  
> so overwhelming that it's hard for me to see in B&W.  Occasionally  
> there is a color photo that works as well or better in B&W, like the  
> one  Philippe pointed out earlier.  Honduras, on the other hand, has  
> always seemed B&W.  That's just the way I see them.  I'll be going  
> back to Honduras in July so I guess I'll see if it's still B&W with  
> my M8;-)
>
> I don't think I would ever go back to film so I guess my challenge  
> now is to make my digital photos as convincing as my film ones used  
> to be.  (That's kind of what I'll be speaking on in NY, comparing  
> the film photos I used to take with my M6's and 7's with the digital  
> M8 ones that I take now.)  Any suggestions on how to do that would  
> be greatly appreciated!!

Talking about it to a large group of people will happily be your  
problem Tina, and maybe not an easy one...

I'm just an amateur, so please forgive me, and please bear with me. I  
go through the same issues, it's torture,  you are right...before it  
was easy: you selected the film for your camera, you selected the  
camera,  and you selected the images. If it's simply a digital vs film  
thing Tina, I suggest it can be avoided...otherwise it's a bit like  
the tail wagging the dog.

RAW is best, no doubt, but having everything in color to decide after  
the fact, is not the way we see and photograph, and it's not the way  
you used to take photos on film...

Carry two M8's (or one, and be flexible) RAW/jpeg fine bw (if need  
be)...

think like you used to.. pick the shot/decide color vs bw (though you  
usually know that at the same instant), commit, take the shot, stick  
to it...

try it...


(it's either that or if you only sell color then shoot RAW, don't  
convert, never look back...)


Steve


>
>
> Tina
>
> Tina Manley
> www.tinamanley.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information


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Replies: Reply from kididdoc at cox.net (Steve Barbour) ([Leica] color vs bw images...)
In reply to: Message from kididdoc at cox.net (Steve Barbour) ([Leica] color vs bw images...)
Message from images at comporium.net (Tina Manley) ([Leica] color vs bw images...)
Message from kididdoc at cox.net (Steve Barbour) ([Leica] color vs bw images...)