Is b&w still acceptable by the general public?

[John Cook]

David, that is very interesting, indeed.

I have always thought of studio b&w photography as a matter of intricate light and shadow, achieved through the skillful manipulation of Fresnel spot lights.

Perhaps an equally accurate description of theatrical stage lighting technique.

Color film photography requires soft, shadow-less, nearly non-directional flat light, generated by what I like to refer to as “fog-lights”.

Black & white photography created using lighting maximized for color looks remarkably poor and uninteresting. This may account for the technically yucky pseudo b&w images created by digital cameras with the saturation turned off.

Thus, theater people must surely have a better understanding of the technique of b&w photography than many color photographers.

Perhaps b&w photographers have an understanding of drama which approaches the level of stage actors.

[John_4185]

Thus, theater people must surely have a better understanding of the technique of b&w photography than many color photographers.

B&W IS color - without hue. But we all know that.

It is true that some B&W motion-pictures often used light that even Ted Turner wouldn't dare colorize. I'm thinking in particular of Orson Wells' work, and A Touch of Evil is a good example of stark lighting that if it were color, might burn the brain, drive out the audience. "Shooting on the toe" for B&W cine is something still photographers might appreciate. It is a bit easier to pull off in cine than stills because the former has motion clues. I love it.

However, translating that light to the stage... well, I have discussed this with a set designer and it was too daunting. A _lot_ of the success of such B&W films was such because it used angles that were purely photographic - you can't have the audience moved about at various heights and angles looking through a lens. Sergi Eisenstein broke that ground when our grandfathers were tikes.

[John Kasaian]

John,

On the subject of B&W portraits, it reminded me of a very talented young lady who is married to my cousin. She started taking B&W children's portraits as a side business so she could work at home. Last year she had to stop becaue she was so inundated with new business it was interfering with homelife.

Another lady in my town started offering 8x10 platinum portraits and marketed her services in pricey women's boutiques----a display of a few sample portraits of irresistable children, nicely framed and matted with a pretty hefty price list and an explanation of the achival track record of platinum.

Both my recently married nieces had B&Ws taken as part of their wedding photography 'package---the B&Ws were of the photojournalism 'speed graphic' tradition.

To paraphrase W.C. Fields, I think reports of B&W' s death have been greatly exaggerated.

Cheers!