I am still undecided about wether I should stick to B&W OR colour. I seem to long for that consistent look and feel of my photos. Surely, that can only be achieved by sticking to one OR the other?
I don’t go out shooting having decided already if I shoot b&w or colour only. I observe and consume whatever comes my way. I do tend to lean towards colourful images but they are much more difficult to make in my opinion.
Colour is very hard to contain and control. You have to make it one of the most crucial ingredients and most of the time it doesn’t happen. But when it does… it feels great
Having said that, sometimes while shooting you just know that this image will work in b&w only and most of the time that is the case. And I do love the abstract, more direct, simplistic world of b&w. I am not sure I can say goodbye to it just yet…
If anyone is torn between the two like I am, I’m curious to hear your thoughts. Do you feel like you don’t shoot or produce to your full potential by not sticking to one OR the other?
All images taken with Panasonic Lumix point & shoot
Thank you for reading,
Yuri
As I shoot mostly film (apart from the iPhone) and develop it myself it’s easier to stick to b&w. And it pleases me ore than color. Though sometimes you have a subject that lives just for it’s color…. that’s where the iPhone comes out.
I mde up my mind (for the moment…) to shoot b&w only.
I see, thanks for your comment Frank. iphone convenience…
Being also mostly a film shooter I just accept the limitations of whatever film is loaded into my camera at the moment. I tend to take into consideration, though, as if not to shoot something colourful on b&w roll but try to look for something in the scene that will also translate well without colour.
For street photography I prefer black and white, and my Nikon F3 is usually loaded with colour roll for other occasions.
Yes, i guess shooting film gives you those limitations on choice but i understand that you don’t mind to switch…
I don’t shoot film, and I often decide afterwards if it should be in b&w or colour. I like both too, well, colour a bit more, but sometimes it just works better in b&w. But I don’t feel I need to choose. I don’t think I’m sacrificing consistency by using both.
Thanks Petra. I think I feel the same way in the long run. Just doubts flying around…
Tea and coffee…,your title answered….
ha, thats one way to look at it. I like both and you?
That first picture is all the proof you need that colour is just as interesting as BW
Thanks Barnaby. I lean towards colour…
For a while i really didn’t like black and white street photography as it seemed like one of those things people did to make bad photos “good” (they weren’t good) and can be a mark of someone who is just appealing to nostalgia. HOWEVER, then I forced myself to only shoot black and white for a while and really appreciated the challenge of not knowing exactly how the background would/wouldn’t work, plus the benefit of not having to focus on colours working together. In the end I’m with you Yuri. There are photos which are a million times better in Colour, and photos which are a million times better in black and white. I think which every you end up shooting (or both) it’s (generally) better to show colour images with colour images and black and white with black and white…generally. (All rules are made to be broke)
Yes, I agree with not mixing… but sometimes might work in photobook, depends on content and idea i guess. Thanks Chris
True. I don’t know of any examples but i’d love to see some.
same here ! as usual i have no doubts to stay in color or to go BW but sometimes as it was with the recent music events, i decide to stay in colors already during my shooting process because of source of light or the mood of event !
btw – great samples here Yuri
I’m not alone! 🙂 Thanks Victor
Hi Yuri, Sounds like this is a decision being made at the beginning of the process, try pre-visualising what the end of the process looks like, imagine what your ideal photographic legacy would look like and work towards that, do you dream in colour ?
Hi David, nice to hear from you! Do i dream in colour? Great question and i don’t think I have an answer! To be investigated…
it’s so tough for me to stick to one or the other