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

[Robert Hughes]

I dunno if b&w is going out of favor elsewhere, but my b&w printing class in DC is full - hardly a moment goes by where there isn't paper in both the 2 developer trays during class. The "history of photography" class got cancelled for lack of attendees, though. And the "digital intro" class I was supposed to attend, the teacher didn't bother to show up. So, that's where it stands here.

[chris jordan]

There are groups of musicians who still sing Gregorian chants from the ninth century, so I think it is unlikely that a medium as espressive and beautiful as B&W photography is going to disappear anytime soon. I think it will change over time, and it clearly is not "the medium of the moment" as it once was (some kind of video game installation art holds that position right now), but B&W will always be around, at least until the red giant thing happens, and then it won't matter anyway.

[Bruce Watson]

This thread is FIVE YEARS OLD!!!

Why can't it stay dead?

[Bill_1856]

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

Yes.

[cobalt]

I was invited to speak to a class ( photo 101) as a visiting artist at a local private university day before yesterday. I was asked to talk about various camera types, as I shoot more than one format. To make a long story short, I was supposed to speak for 30 minutes; my presentation lasted about 1 and 1/2 hours. I took three cameras (Yashica Electro 35 rangefinder, Graflex Super Graphic, and a Hasselblad. The questions just kept coming. Clearly there is an interest residing (often latent) in those to whom the particulars of the art are presented.

[John Kasaian]

This thread keeps coming back like left over four day old roast beef!

FWIW, around my place black & white photography is on the way out--the door at oh-dark thirty tomorrow morning but will return in time for a late lunch

[Turner Reich]

No.

[Al D]

Well, I was at PhotoPlus '06 today, and several companies gave me optimism. Harman Technology (the company which owns Ilford's "wet" products) is very committed to keeping B&W film and printing paper around, and are even developing chemicals where they believe Kodak may discontinue them (i.e. they are producing a new Selenium Toner, partly because they feel Kodak may discontinue producing it, thereby giving Harman/Ilford a new niche). Bergger is equally committed, and has even explored additional films. They apparantly tried to develop a 400ASA sheet film, but were unhappy with their prototype. Keith Canham said that the large format market is in fact growing. So I'm pretty comfortable that B&W (non-digital) photography will be around for a while yet.

Well, Bergger will need to find somebody else to produce their films and papers after February 26th when Forte ceases operations.

We've seen a serious weakening of links in the analog B&W supply chain over the past year. We're losing manufacturers of paper bases and film supports (which tends to go under the radar, because these are often subcontractors to those manufacturing the finished product) in addition to those doing emulsion production and coating.


Right now we've got:

a) Traditional large-scale players who may not be able to downsize production infrastructure to cope with diminished demand, or who may not be interested in doing so
b) Smaller-scale players who may not be able to operate profitably in a "manufacture to order" model or adapt their products when their are changes further down the supply chain (e.g. a paper base supplier drops out of the market
c) Rising raw material costs (I sure as heck wouldn't want to buy silver using Yen, Yuan, Forints, or Koruna)
d) Significant obstacles facing many manufacturers in terms of labor laws that make it difficult to adjust staff levels
e) Mounting evidence that once the production of film and paper production infrastructure is lost - it's gone for good. Recapitalization would be beyond the means of any consortium of retailers because the size of the market wouldn't allow them to finance the capital.
f) Immobility of the product lines (you can't simply expect to coat Forte films on Foma's coating line, for example)
g) Macroeconomic forces that suggest alternate physical demand for silver (demand for silver for jewelry-making in India has gone off the charts in the past 10 years) and its potential use as a currency hedge (comments like those voiced by Jean-Claude Trichet yesterday in Davos are making lots of folks skittish) are going to crowd out traditional industrial usage.
h) Increased environmental regulation - even in places like China (which just announced new regulations concerning the usage of heavy metals).
i) The sad fact that in a lot of developing nations the land owned by the manufacturers offers a better return than continued operations. This is what did in Sterling a few years back and there have been strong suggestions from folks on APUG having business connections with Forte that this is what led to Forte's closure since they are owned and operated by a real estate investment and management group.

Given all the above, Ilford probably is in the best position to succeed at the moment (flexible UK labor laws, strong currency, size may enable them to subcontract film support and paper base needs elsewhere, etc.) but "g", "h", "i" are beyond anyone's means to combat.

I find it extremely difficult to be bullish on the future of analog B&W photography at the present time. I hope that I am soon able to feel otherwise.

[BrianShaw]

Well, Bergger will need to find somebody else to produce their films and papers after February 26th when Forte ceases operations.

And hopefully Bergger will improve the light-tightness of the 120 backing paper when they do that!

[mark anderson]

if black and white last longer than this thread we will have no worries