Why Convert Color to B&W?

[Frank Petronio]

The ironic thing about Tim's example and other examples of "poor" Color/Digital to B&W conversions is that in nearly all the cases, the image would benefit from more contrast and a shorter dynamic range.

Which counterdicts what most people are saying... lol

And boy, I probably have some hollowers where I got lazy, but I sure would hate to Google myself and find my work sited as a particulary heinous example. I hope that poor guy did you wrong cause you probably ruined his day... when he finds this thread.

[tim atherton]

The ironic thing about Tim's example and other examples of "poor" Color/Digital to B&W conversions is that in nearly all the cases, the image would benefit from more contrast and a shorter dynamic range.

Which counterdicts what most people are saying... lol

And boy, I probably have some hollowers where I got lazy, but I sure would hate to Google myself and find my work sited as a particulary heinous example. I hope that poor guy did you wrong cause you probably ruined his day... when he finds this thread.

okay... maybe I should have said a particularly good example of this particular "look"....

(+ our mexican "friend" never misses a chance to make personal digs about my work - guess I'm used to it....)

[MJSfoto1956]

Most people don't push or pull color neg, I don't think it is quite as easy to use different processing times without introducing cross-curves of unexpected, inappropriate color.

Actually, my lab is happy to push/pull color neg -- in a stretch I've done 2-stops. But one stop is more manageable and the results are good.

[Kirk Gittings]

I've tested most of the filter options out there (Tri-X plug-ins etc), as well as the funky new options in PS3 and I've yet to see much that looks good.

That because it is no easy fix! You have to shoot and scan color with the needs of b&w conversion in mind. It requires a very deliberate work flow.

I think a few months ago someone started a thread which conveyed that we were in the most wonderful period of time for photography, I think this is so , and I am glad I am of age to benifit.

That was me and every day, I am more convinced it is true. Having said that, I wish I had today's tools and the landscape of 100 years ago.

[tim atherton]

That because it is no easy fix! You have to shoot and scan color with the needs of b&w conversion in mind. It requires a very deliberate work flow.

(Which was why it would be interesting to see Bob's pictures)

On the whole, though, I was talking much more about shooting digital from start to finish, not starting off with colour film

(although I'm not entirely convinced by it's utility? What's the big general advantage of using colour film over b&w film? If you need a special workflow, presumably you aren't really getting dual purpose negs that will give both a good colour and a good b&w image?)

And as someone else stated, one of the biggest problems underlying this is that a vast majority of the pictures (not talking Kirk's examples here) are originally taken as colour pictures - especially "in the mind/minds eye" of the photographer.

And 99% of the time, take the colour away from a good colour picture and you don't end up with a good B&W picture. And adding the original colour to a good B&W picture will rarley make a good colour picture...? different beasts

[Kirk Gittings]

I do shoot color negs, but I rarely do it except when in an odd lighting situation that typical filter usage won't do what I want. And for one recent exhibit that I shot both 4x5 film and digital and ended up using the digital all the way through. This really doesn't read except when large. The color jpeg from original raw file and the conversion done in ACR and then tweaked considerably. The two files were layered so I could create some transparency and movement in the figure. The final print was 20x24 and held up really well because of how deep the tonalities are. This is currently on exhibit at the 1x20, Downtown Contemporary Art Center show in Albuquerque. It was all preplanned right down to shooting a test of the wall to see if I could the tonalities of the wall to do what I wanted.

[MJSfoto1956]

...And for one recent exhibit that I shot both film and didital and ended up using the digital all the way through.

Nice Kirk!!

[r.e.]

The advantages of using colour film and converting to black and white, especially for 35mm or 120, is that it simplifies management of stock and, unless one is doing one's own processing and/or lives in a major city, greatly speeds up turn-around time.

I spent part of August in Newfoundland, where getting B+W processed is a major hassle unless one knows about a particular individual who does it on the side.

I'm going to Afghanistan this fall, and I would love to eliminate an entire category of film to bring, concentrating only on a selection of speeds. The fact that I'm going to bring along a large format camera makes simplifying stock all the more attractive.

I think that it is obvious that one can visualize (pre- or on the fly) in B+W while using colour stock.

Indeed, the feature films in the last few years that have been released in B+W have mostly, if not exclusively, been shot in colour and been converted (desaturated). For an example, Good Night and Good Luck.

[Kirk Gittings]

Nice Kirk!!

Thank you. It is a little out of my norm, shooting a figure.

[Ken Lee]

The pre-visualizers are like Mozart, who wrote as though he were taking dictation. He rarely edited or made corrections. The rest of us are more like Beethoven, who had to work and re-work his music. Either way, we're in good company.