Color v Black and White

bdcolen

Here's a perfect example of a terrific documentary project idea that was ruined by being shot in black and white. It's odd, because the photographer clearly knows how to work in color. But here, I believe, he made a major miscalculation. This series of photos is about place; it's about things; it's about setting. And the images would have been much more meaningful in color.

lilmomma

Sorry I don't join in on those discussions much but WOW I completely felt like they were missing something, they absolutely should've been color.

I TOTALLY agree with you, B.D.

zoomer

Depends if she was going for:
Black and white
Looking at the dark side of it, somber and lamenting about the waste of a young life...makes you think about the families loss.
vs.
Color, celebrating the youthful energy dedication and sacrifice made by a young partriot....makes you think about what a great country we live in that we have dedicated individuals who are willing to risk it all to maintain our way of life.

To me the black and white sends a more accurate message.

lizzard_nyc

I think in color the rooms would have looked more different from each other (more indicative of their different personalities). In B&W, they all have the same look about them.

In color I think they would have been more poignant and touching and personal. In b&w they have the "just another number" quality.

bdcolen

zoomer wrote:

Depends if she was going for:
Black and white
Looking at the dark side of it, somber and lamenting about the waste of a young life...makes you think about the families loss.
vs.
Color, celebrating the youthful energy dedication and sacrifice made by a young partriot....makes you think about what a great country we live in that we have dedicated individuals who are willing to risk it all to maintain our way of life.

To me the black and white sends a more accurate message.

All due respect...but too simplistic. Looking at a brightly lit, colorful room, with the teddy bears - have you ever seen so many teddy bears? - recruiting posters, American flags, etc., smacks one right in the face with the enormity of the loss.

zoomer

Not me.
That is what is cool about any art form is that each viewer is affected differently and evaluates it from their own point of view/perspective.
Neither opinion is right or wrong.

Richard

bdcolen wrote:

All due respect...but too simplistic. Looking at a brightly lit, colorful room, with the teddy bears - have you ever seen so many teddy bears? - recruiting posters, American flags, etc., smacks one right in the face with the enormity of the loss.

Yeah, I noticed the teddy bears, too. I'm not sure about this. I have a short attention span these days, and I wonder if I looked at the whole series in color whether I would start to forget that they're all dead. The somberness of B&W prevents that. I guess I would need to see the whole series in color to know for sure.

And oh my, yes--he certainly does know how to do color. The other series is fantastic.

vintagemxr

B.D., would the decision to do the story in B&W be made only by the photographer or is that something where a photo editor would have requested/advised that a story in B&W was wanted?

Doug

bdcolen

vintagemxr wrote:

B.D., would the decision to do the story in B&W be made only by the photographer or is that something where a photo editor would have requested/advised that a story in B&W was wanted?

Doug

I'd be pretty much willing to put bet that this was the photographer's project, which he then pitched to the Times Magazine. Which is to say, in all likelihood, the photographer decided to do this in black and white.

Wil Davis

bdcolen wrote:

snip…
But here, I believe, he made a major miscalculation. This series of photos is about place; it's about things; it's about setting. And the images would have been much more meaningful in color.

Sorry BD, but I think you're wrong…

…I think each picture in the series of photographs is about the memory of a person's life.

I really don't think they would be any better in colour.

Interesting discussion though…

- Wil