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03/20/2012 10:04:31 AM · #1 |
I've dedicated myself to taking B&W photo's for the remainder of the year. The upcoming challenge "Color on Color IV" poses and interesting question. After reading a few articales on the Internet, this one stands out.
Are Black & White Colors?
Is Black a Color? Is White a Color?
The answer to the question - "Are black and white colors?" - is one of the most debated issues about color. Ask a scientist and you'll get a reply based on physics: âBlack is not a color, white is a color.â Ask an artist or a child with crayons and you'll get another: âBlack is a color, white is not a color.â (Maybe!)
Here is a link to the site.
After taking a look please weigh in on your opinion. It may determine if I enter the challenge or not.
Thanks.
Scott
Message edited by author 2012-03-20 10:05:02.
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03/20/2012 10:15:32 AM · #2 |
my opinion... black is a color and white is a color... not sure if it'll make much difference.
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03/20/2012 10:41:27 AM · #3 |
| I would say yes. However, I'd also say make sure you take a black on black or a white on white. If you take a picture of an apple on a grey background, change it to b&w and say it's now grey on grey, it probably won't go over well. :) |
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03/20/2012 10:45:56 AM · #4 |
| Unfortunately DNMCs will be very likely. Not many voters read scientific explanations nor these forums. A careful analysis of previous challenges points to the need for the highly technical studio shots, water splashes in particular, if one would like to be in Top 10. |
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03/20/2012 10:50:45 AM · #5 |
edit: duplicate
Message edited by author 2012-03-20 10:59:01. |
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03/20/2012 10:52:10 AM · #6 |
Originally posted by mike_311:
no, black and white is not color.
black is absorption of all color, white is reflection of all colors. |
you need to limit to a specific wavelength of the electromagnetic spectrum or else its DNMC! |
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03/20/2012 11:03:08 AM · #7 |
Originally posted by mike_311:
you need to limit to a specific wavelength of the electromagnetic spectrum or else its DNMC! |
I had originally shot a black on black last night, than the physicist inside immediately thought of that and I scraped it. After a decade in university, I knew my physics degree would come in handy for something.
CS |
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03/20/2012 11:07:11 AM · #8 |
| my opinion is that if you use black or white you will end up with brown. |
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03/20/2012 11:29:29 AM · #9 |
Rebels don't care where they place in the contest!!
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03/20/2012 12:24:25 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by posthumous:
my opinion is that if you use black or white you will end up with brown. |
+1... HA!
Although I will note there were a few b&w images that did ok in past similar challenges
-mefnj |
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03/20/2012 04:44:24 PM · #11 |
Personally, I think the spirit of the challenge is that the subject and the background need to be sort of the same, regardless of whether technically speaking that "same" actually is or isn't a colour.
However, you WILL get remarks such as "absence of colour", so be ready for those.
 vawendy made an excellent point re desaturation. |
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03/20/2012 04:51:46 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by mike_311:
no, black and white is not color.
black is absorption of all color, white is reflection of all colors. |
I was taught that in light, things look white when all the colors are present, in painting things look black when all the colors are present.
The sheer perversity of doing a white on white (or black on black) has a great appeal. It would be hammered by many, and rewarded by some. |
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03/20/2012 07:02:16 PM · #13 |
| Screw the score and go for it :) |
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03/20/2012 07:22:42 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by MinsoPhoto:
Screw the score and go for it :) |
+1 |
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03/20/2012 08:11:07 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by pixelpig:
Originally posted by MinsoPhoto:
Screw the score and go for it :) |
+1 |
+1
In my small world, camouflage is more valuable than being colorful. It's a Darwin thing. |
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03/20/2012 08:57:56 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by BrennanOB:
Originally posted by mike_311:
no, black and white is not color.
black is absorption of all color, white is reflection of all colors. |
I was taught that in light, things look white when all the colors are present, in painting things look black when all the colors are present.
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yes pigments and electromagnetic radiation aren't quite the same. in the end its those light rays that get reflected to your eyes, so black is absorbing all the colors of light, white is reflecting them all.
but in all seriousness, black on black and white on white would be fine with me. |
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03/23/2012 10:42:27 PM · #17 |
| Am having a play for this challenge and have discounted black and white (just in case) however, how close does the subject and background have to be in order to be classed as the same colour? If they were the same colour then you'd not see the subject and was wondering if the 'shades' are not close enough they'd get the same scores as black or white? |
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03/24/2012 12:34:19 AM · #18 |
Originally posted by Ecce Signum:
Am having a play for this challenge and have discounted black and white (just in case) however, how close does the subject and background have to be in order to be classed as the same colour? If they were the same colour then you'd not see the subject and was wondering if the 'shades' are not close enough they'd get the same scores as black or white? |
i'd suggest you peruse the previous challenges like this one... there are some where it is "blender __________" and some where there are differences between subject and background.
plus, not a lot of pp tweaking allowed this time with Basic Editing.
-m |
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03/24/2012 11:58:30 AM · #19 |
the way the lighting is arranged could potentially make a subject of the ' exact ' same color as the background quite visible.
Originally posted by Ecce Signum:
Am having a play for this challenge and have discounted black and white (just in case) however, how close does the subject and background have to be in order to be classed as the same colour? If they were the same colour then you'd not see the subject and was wondering if the 'shades' are not close enough they'd get the same scores as black or white? |
edit: to stay on topic, personally i wouldn't enter a B&W image in this challenge. mainly because black on black, and white on white already have representation as a repeated theme.
Message edited by author 2012-03-24 12:22:56.
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