Meant for black and white?

[graywolf]

Hey all,

I grew up shooting black and white film(i'm 19 now) and now, irregardless of if i shoot film or digital, I can't for the life of me shoot a good colour photo. All the while I can take good BWs all day long.

I don't know if this is something ingrained in me now, or what. Whats your take? Do you find this to be true too? I don't look at light as much now that I've been shooting colour, need to get back to that.

19 huh? At 68 I remember how upset I got about things related to time, I actually did not think I would make it to 25. There is a point to that comment, you have lots and lots of time ahead of you.

Now let's look at your question. I grew up with B&W TV, B&W movies, B&W magazines, B&W dreams, and of course B&W photography. I only really went to color in my 30's when I was trying to be a commercial photographer and all my customers wanted color. It took me about five years to get really comfortable with shooting color, and about ten before my dreams started being in color. However, it actually only took about thee months to get to the point where my customers were happy with my color work.

OK, the points of that are NO you are not color crippled for the rest of your life, and MOTIVATION will govern how fast you pick up that color eye.

Another point to consider is do you actually need to shoot color? If your work is for your own satisfaction, and you do not need to make clients happy maybe your muse is B&W. If you choose to shoot both, I will second the suggestion you got to consider them separate media; like an artist would, say, charcoal and water colors. As you pointed out, the way you look at light is entirely different for color and for B&W. The first you are looking for how light affects colors, in the second you are looking for the play of light and shadow. They are definitely not interchangeable ways of seeing, you will have to learn how to switch back and forth between them.

 

[David Allen]

When I am not photographing I see in colour.

When I go out to make photographs I only see images in B&W.

Life is so simple!

David
www.dsallen.de

 

[nworth]

Some people just seem to think black and white; others think color. They see images that work best in one or the other medium, and usually they don't change between the two very well. On the other hand, sometimes something you see as a color image turns out to be an excellent black and white. But often, excellent black and white images are nothing in color.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

be happu,because you obviously have a talent many would like to aquire. i think color just gets into the way of a good picture anyway.no that's not right,but coloris another compositional element like contrast ,and needs to be dealt with accordingly.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

but a good b&beats a good color picture aby day!

 

[dehk]

Color, Gotta make the tone and color flawless. BW, gotta make the tonality flawless. They both can be tough but color seems to have an extra step to it. However, some people may like a color photograph because the color is attractive to begin with. But for BW, I think your subject still gotta be interesting no matter how great your tonality is.

 

[Valerie]

You're 19 already, Marko??? Wow! Time has flown.

While in school and after taking bw classes for several semesters, I signed up for a color class.

I sucked. People in my photos were yellow. Or green. Never normal

Years later I have the same problem. I just seem to see tone instead of color now.

 

[MattKing]

Marko:

Be patient .

Do you like the work of other photographers who work in colour?

If so, it is just a matter of continuing to be curious, and experimenting a lot.

It may be that you have an affinity for Black and White that results in your being happier with it (at least currently).

One question - do others like your colour photographs more than you?