So, IS black & white photography on its way out?

[paulr]

Relevancy-wise, the turntable metaphor is apt. Compare the number of turntables sold in the last couple of years with the number of iPods to get a sense of the relative cultural marketshare.

Or even more significant than this--look at the amount of new music released on LP vs. what's released on CD or MP3.

It's sobering. Then consider that the bulk of music released on LP is dance tracks for DJs ... the number intended for listening is almost nonexistent.

BUT--the world is still full of LPs, including some of the best music ever recorded, and there are a lot of fanatical people buying these up wherever they get a chance (record fairs, used stores, thrift shops ...) and buying expensive turntables to listen to them. In fact there are more high end turntables being made today than ever before in history.

So the parallel to the photographic fringe seems like a good one. The LP used to mainstream. Now it's so fringe that a lot of kids have never had one in their hands, and it's not a relevent medium for most recording artists. But plenty remain, and there's an enthusiastic subculture that continues to love them.

[Chris Strobel]

Yes B&W is on its way out, out to a gallery near you

[Christopher Perez]

Indeed it is.

Stay tuned. 2007 might be an "interesting" year for, at least, this cowpoke. B&W silver gelatin... maybe a little palladium... maybe a little platinum too...

Yes B&W is on its way out, out to a gallery near you

[Ron Marshall]

Yes it definately is: on it's way out of my fridge and into my filmholders. Several times a week, (if schedule permits)

[Andrew O'Neill]

Yes it definately is: on it's way out of my fridge and into my filmholders. Several times a week, (if schedule permits)

HA HA HA HAAAAAA.... Love it!

[Michael Daily]

The same basic argument was used to decry the death of painting as a result of photography, the death of lithography due to the offset press, and the death of the spear at the introduction of the bow and arrow. The advertised death of the world in 2000 CE was off by at least 2 years. Research shows that the birth of Christ was probably 2 BCE or 4 BCE. Therefore, the end of the world at 2000CE was actually 2 years earlier. Did anyone notice? To paraphrase: the announcement of the death of B/W is greatly exaggerated...

[Ted Harris]

B&W photography will be completely replaced by 3-D interactive color holograms on the holodeck. There is, however, a certain irony to the fact that if pin 17 on connector no. 493 shorts to pin 18, the whole place changes to monochrome.

Damnit Jim, I'm a photogtapher, not a programmer!

[Ralph Barker]

Damnit Jim, I'm a photogtapher, not a programmer!

Not to worry. We'll let Jordy handle it.

[Don Wallace]

Yes it definately is: on it's way out of my fridge and into my filmholders. Several times a week, (if schedule permits)

Ron Marshall wins for best contribution, EVER, to this much-flogged topic.

[Robert Skeoch]

Now I'm really confused.
Is b&w dead or not.
I need to know because I want to tell the people who just bought new large format cameras from me. Plus I'll want to let the people know who are ordering film, that they're behind the times.
It's time to get out and shoot.
-Rob