Display Color and B&W together?

[BradS]

I’m starting a new project and thinking about whether to do it in color or B&W....and can’t decide. I’m thinking about doing both but...

is it ok to present both color and b&w together? If so how? If not why not? Does it matter if the presentation format is prints on a wall versus prints in a zine?

What are your thoughts? Any examples ?

 

[MattKing]

There aren't any particular rules, but mixing colour and black and white can create challenges.
It probably helps to clearly differentiate the two media.
Something like jewel like small colour prints along side larger graphic black and white images.
If the prints are too similar, the colour can distract.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

I'd start the project and see. Color or black & white is part of the meaning, part of the message. As such, it's also a totally different mindset for the photographer, in terms of preparation, during the shooting, in post. Same way you wouldn't approach a project the same way if you would do it in 35mm, 120 or large format.

There are things I just can't see in color, and things I do see in color I have to work on in a very different because I'm trying to convey something very different then I would if I would approach the subject in black & white. I find color very difficult in that sense.

But I can imagine not being sure. Sometimes the idea we have about the project isn't as clear as we think, or maybe the project has different aspects that could lead to one or the other. In that case, what I would do is just test before deciding. Something clear and decisive about one or the other might reveal itself. And if it does turn out that both work, well, it will have the advantage of originality. There are no rules, after all.

 

[DREW WILEY]

I've done it many times. Think of a wine tasting where you are asked to drink something else in between. In fact, there was one instance when my big Cibachrome color prints were alternated one to one with AA's big b&w "mural" prints. That was the curator's idea, not mine; but it worked great. His were on deep chocolate brown panels, and mine on light neutral gray in between. But what is meant by "neutral" is a complex question. It takes some experience or experimenting to get it right. Try to keep the images from competing. Sequence them by some kind of complementary balance.

 

[Sirius Glass]

For me each photograph stands on its own, so I have them mixed on the walls.