Digital Camera B&W Looks Fake

wxwax

So says the actress I talked to last night.

She's been in the acting biz for a while. Apparently female actors need to regularly update their headshot portfolio to keep up with hair and make-up trends. So she's shot a lot of headshots in her time.

She says that in her experience, headshots shot with digital and converted to B&W don't look as authentic as those shot on B&W film.

When she compared the digital/converted shots to those shot on B&W film, she says she could immediately tell the difference, and that the digital ones didn't look as good. She says the photographer (a pro) told her everything that I did about PS conversions. She's going to bring in her portfolio so I can see for myself.

She enjoys sitting for shots and is perfectly willing to let me practice with her, which is cool. In the next few weeks I hope to have some shots (natural light only, I'm not going to be buying lighting kits) to play with.

So anyway, you guys think she has a point?

Andy

i think she's probably been working with photogs who crank out headshots for $150 a session, and don't do a whole lot of bw in their post-processing. good bw post processing (photoshop *and* printing) imo is as good as film bw.

wxwax

andy wrote:

i think she's probably been working with photogs who crank out headshots for $150 a session, and don't do a whole lot of bw in their post-processing. good bw post processing (photoshop *and* printing) imo is as good as film bw.

Thanks. That was my sense as well. I shall put my meager PS skills to work to see if I can prove her wrong. What's interesting is that she wears completely different make-up for B&W sessions - she ignore color, and goes for contrast and shading.

patch29

Where and how where they being printed?

pathfinder

wxwax wrote:

Thanks. That was my sense as well. I shall put my meager PS skills to work to see if I can prove her wrong. What's interesting is that she wears completely different make-up for B&W sessions - she ignore color, and goes for contrast and shading.

Sounds like the make up they used to wear in the 30's for B&W films or the early 1950's for TV. Much darker almost black lip stick and eye shadows. That may not be what you need if you are going to shoot RGB color digital.

As for digital B&W not being as good as film - Yeah ! Right! I've got a shoe box full of Tri-X negatives I shot and souped myself - they were pretty fair for their day - sufficient to print 16x20. But a 20D B&W blows them into the ditch - no question about it. Grain can always be added to the image if that is what she prefers of course.

wxwax

patch29 wrote:

Where and how where they being printed?

I don't know.

wxwax

pathfinder wrote:

Sounds like the make up they used to wear in the 30's for B&W films or the early 1950's for TV. Much darker almost black lip stick and eye shadows. That may not be what you need if you are going to shoot RGB color digital.

It will if I'm converting to B&W, no?

pathfinder

wxwax wrote:

It will if I'm converting to B&W, no?

Not sure really - Could be. Are you goin to shoot with a 20D? Might try some direct incamera B&W also for grins.

wxwax

pathfinder wrote:

Not sure really - Could be. Are you goin to shoot with a 20D? Might try some direct incamera B&W also for grins.

1DmkII. And if her B&W makeup doesn't work for a B&W conversion, that buttresses her argument.