Italy in B&W or Color

[Curt]

How can a person go to Italy and shoot exclusively in B&W with a land that is so colorful?

I don't shoot in color, except digital, but when I go to Italy I could be changing my ways. OK, I shoot something in color, what film and where would I have prints made. I am not setup to do color anymore and really don't want to change everything to do color. 120 seems appropriate but 4x5 would be all right.

 

[HerrBremerhaven]

Probably many of the old buildings would be fine to stick to B/W. If you go to the Tuscany area, you might want to shoot some colour film. If you don't mind having someone make prints for you of your colour film images, then that is a way to work around needing to do it yourself. I have done my own E-6, which is not too complicated for development, though getting prints made involves having a lab. If you don't mind having LightJet or Chromira, or finding some place to do Ilfocolor prints, that gives you a few more options than enlarger done colour prints from C-41 films.

Ciao!

Gordon

 

[Pinholemaster]

Velvia 100F

Fuji Pro 160S

The last time I was in Italy, I found it easy to photograph both in B&W and color.

Simply look at a scene and listen to your heart. Italy is all about heart.

 

[roteague]

Velvia 100 (not F) or Provia 100F. I can give you some leads on where to have them printed if you are interested.

 

[Aodhán]

Italy is beautifull in b&w, the old towns offer great scenes that work very well without colour and the landscapes offer great textures and patterns.

 

[childers-jk]

I enjoyed the color shots I took in Italy last year. I did take B&W, but found the colors too vibrant. If you get around Venice, try to get over to Burano. A wonderful place in the late afternoon. Tuscany is also very nice in color, but I could have used some B&W in the small villages.

 

[Curt]

I am going to leave the color to my wife and do my favorite, B&W. Too much and noting gets done right. My new way of working is to simplify. If I have the camera up to my eye all the time I won't see any of the land and the people.


Curt

 

[gbenaim]

Curt,

Three bodies of LF B&W work come to mind:M. Smith and P Chamlee's stuff on Tuscany, and Jeffrey Curto's Bella Luce (LW last year). If you like looking at other people's work before you go where they've been, these are some great examples. Do enjoy the food, wine and people, it's a great place.

GB

 

[MarcoF]

Look at the b&w portfolio of this italian photographer:

http://www.montiluciano.com/italian-land/paesaggi-italiani.htm

mmhhhhh, ok,you can say that these images could have been shot in every part of the world, they are noy "tipically" italian, i.e. like the Crete Senesi or Tuscany colour images, but you can do a beautiful work here in Italy with b&w, just only think at Venice or at all those ancient buildings and roman ruins...


Ciao
Marco

 

[arigram]

My last trip to Italy was a Hasselblad and lots of BW film.
There are forms, shapes, lines and tones as much as there is color.
Its up to you to decide what you prefer.
You can't capture everything in one go anyway so you will have to focus.
There is way to much food for a photographer, you can fill your stomach
on your very first walk outside, so discipline is a must.

 

[David Henderson]

Well its kind of hard to be definitive since you don't say where you're going,when, or what kind of subject you are likely to photograph and these all affect the answer I'd give.

If I had to generalise, it would be along the lines that cities and villages will often suit b&w better; the countryside- especially in northern Italy- will look better to me in colour. If you're going to be in southern Tuscany; the Cinque Terre; the Lakes, you'll miss a lot without colour film in my view.

I photograph b&w and colour slides in parallel just with different backs. I've made my share of mistakes whilst assembling the disciplines to do this, but its helped by the fact that only rarely do I try to photograph any scene/ or at any location in both media.

 

[Curt]

We would start in Venice to Florence the hill cities of the Cinque Terre then south to Rome etc. including many cities and sites. I have my plan and she has hers, somewhere in between we will meet. I like Art and Architecture with History. I think she will too but each persons experiences are different. We have a lot of planning to do yet.

Curt

 

[Curt]

Marco, I just went to the site you reference and I was surprised at the diversity of subject matter there, all in Italy.

Thanks Marco and Arigram, and discipline it is.

 

[sterioma]

We would start in Venice to Florence the hill cities of the Cinque Terre then south to Rome etc [...]
Curt

Curt,
my parents live in Cinque Terre (Riomaggiore) and there is where I spent my childhood. If you need any help for planning just PM me