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

[Kevin J. Kolosky]

Not only am I a photographer, I am also a purchaser of fine art prints made by others. I don't display disks on my wall, nor monitors, nor drives, nor any of that stuff. I display Black and White silver based prints. Quite frankly, I don't care what they are made of so long as the quality is as good as silver based prints, and I have yet to see anything equal that quality (in my very humble opinion). When I go to Museums of Art to look at their photographic displays, they are almost always all black and white silver based. When you look at what sells in the fine art world (auctions) it is black and white. Long live silver based black and white !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kevin

[Chris Partti]

Glen Kroger's reference to the fate of the LP in the face of digital technology makes a good case for the continued availability of B&W materials. Nearly 20 years ago the major record manufacturers announced that CDs were "perfect sound forever" and they pushed the market hard toward the CD even ahead of consumer demand. (Manufactures of cameras and materials have been nowhere near as aggressive about forcing consumers to digital photography.) In the vacuum left by the major manufacturers' neglect, there has sprung up a thriving, although niche, market for LPs and LP playback equipment. In fact, years after the LP was declared dead, small audiophile manufacturers continue to design ever more expensive turntables and cartridges and small record companies continue to turn out LPs of old and new music. I expect that if major manufacturers abandon the B&W market the same thing will happen in photography.

Another example that should encourage optimism is the recent flowering of interest in alternative photography which has made readily available some processes that were virtually dead for half a century.

B&W may become even more of a niche market than it is now, but I am confident it will be around for a very long time.

[Bruce Gavin]

Kodak has already killed High Speed Infrared due to lack of interest.

[Peter Lucchini]

To Me Black And White Will Allways Make Me Stair , In Wonder At The Beauty Of A Large Print. It To Me Is Like An Artists Painting No Color Involved Just The Shades And Contrasts. Involving Features Just Seem To Draw You In To The Subject, Simple Yet Complex. Will Black And White Die? Only If We Let It, And We Allow It To.

[John Kasaian]

The same could be implied for traditional photography in general, but I don't think so---I think instead we've seen a major shift in the big players. Kodak cutting back and Agfa's demise are being made up for by asian and eastern european manufacturers who see a profit to be made.

Black and white is also within the realm of D-I-Ys who can coat glass plates and master alternative printing which makes me suspect that black and white as a genre will be around for as long as there are chemicals to make the stuff.

[bob carnie]

Ilford is announcing at Photokina a brand new black and white fibre paper I have been testing on our Lambda. Ilford digital fibre base. Basically Gallerie grade 4 with an extended red sensitivitey for better tone reproduction from digital capture and colour originals.
Deveere has been making a digital enlarger for the last few years that will be targeted to home use and schools.
Harmon Technology in Europe and North America will be actively approaching the photo schools with this new product line and targeting the young students that are born and raised with digital technology to teach them the merits of fibre base black and white prints.
I was lucky enough to go to photo college in the early seventies to catch the bug when black and white was heavy.
At 53 I am lucky enough to invest in this new technology and will definately ride the new wave of black and white printing and styles that will be prevelant over the next years.
Any one thinking that black and white is dead should take their heads out of the sand or *ass* and research what is happening and get involved. This is one of the most exciting periods of my life, being able to work in both analoque and digital photography. The hybrid possibilities are endless and we should as photographers and printers embrace it all.

[paulr]

I don't understand the question. Are you asking if black and white materials are on their way out, or if monochromatic image making has lost its relevence?

If it's materials you're worried about, then it's a kind of non-issue in the long run. Materials have been coming and going since the very beginning of the medium, and photographers have adapted, often with only minor effect on their work. And ofen with a positive effect. And many of the older materials will always be available if you care enough to make them yourself.

I've wondered more about the second question. When people look at my black and white work these days, a lot of them make comments suggesting that they see it as a historical or anachronistic process--as a deliberate choice on my part to do something "old fashioned," rather than an esthetic choice made from among several equally viable options. And obviously, this influences the way they see the work.

Of couse, this isn't what I'm after. But what can I do? It's as if I chose to drive around in a model-T, but didn't want to be seen as an antique car guy.

None of this has to do with how relevent the work is to me. But if this is a growing sentiment (and i'm not sure if it is, but i've been growing more aware of it) then it doesn't speak well for the future of black and white anything. It will just take one more generation of old codgers to exit the planet, and the monochrome photographic esthetic will be locked forever behind glass, along with vaudeville and the harpsichord.

[Bruce Watson]

From what I've read here recently, it seems that a lot of photographic companies have drastically reduced their commitment to black & white products. Most photo graphy is done in color, and black & white has survived mainly as an art medium. It looks like black & white photography as it exists right now might disappear altogether as companies decide that it is no longer cost-efficient to produce pr oducts for black & white photographers.

This is just speculation. Unless you have some facts to introduce, there's nothing to discuss.

[leeturner]

There was a thread on APUG about low stock levels in a couple of suppliers. Rather than a non availability of a product causing the low stock it was that the stock had sold out due to demand from people going back to school and college. I work above a small imaging company and most of their work is from film stock. For copying large artwork a 5x4 or 10x8 is still utilised. As Bob said, Ilford is producing a FB product for use in digital printing. This will ensure the production of fibre base.

The end of the world is not nigh!

[BrianShaw]

This is just speculation.

I'm not taking any chances... I'll be signing up for golf lessons, just in case I need a new hobby in the near future! (hee-hee)