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11/07/2005 10:40:42 PM · #1 |
I don't know if I have just started to become aware of it but there appears to be a growing number of inappropriate B&W images submitted to challenges lately.
B&W is a powerful tool, but a lot of the submissions just either don't use it to good effect or they would look much better in colour. I don't think there are any guidelines for what should or should not be black and white but really, some of the recent ones have been just awful. Is this an epidemic? I don't know, judge for yourself.
In Dead End there are 173 entries, 44 of those are B&W or monochrome. That's 25.4% of entries. Seems high to me, especially when voting and seeing how many really just do not work.
Message edited by author 2005-11-07 22:58:36. |
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11/07/2005 11:24:45 PM · #2 |
Originally posted by KiwiPix:
B&W is a powerful tool, but a lot of the submissions just either don't use it to good effect or they would look much better in colour. |
Don't you think that's a bit subjective? |
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11/07/2005 11:32:35 PM · #3 |
Whether something works or not in B&W is purely subjective as John has stated.
If you feel so strongly, point out to the photographer what makes you feel it doesn't work using a comment. But you need to be specific if you choose to comment since the photographer obviously felt B & W works for their image.
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11/08/2005 01:50:01 AM · #4 |
Maybe the problem is not that they are B&W, but how they were converted. Usually if you just desaturate or convert to grayscale, you get really flat looking B&W's. Channel mixer (in PS) is a much better way.
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11/08/2005 01:52:05 AM · #5 |
Originally posted by jmsetzler:
Originally posted by KiwiPix:
B&W is a powerful tool, but a lot of the submissions just either don't use it to good effect or they would look much better in colour. |
Don't you think that's a bit subjective? |
Sure, but he's just expressing his opinion, which he's entitled to.
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11/08/2005 03:31:22 AM · #6 |
[P covers his ears and runs away chanting: i'm not hearing this...i'm not hearing this...i'm not...]
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11/08/2005 03:35:21 AM · #7 |
Yep, it surely is a subjective thing - but an important one. To me, there are images that are powerful B&W and those that are flat, uninteresting and have no value added to them as monos. I am wondering aloud if B&W has become a crutch for some people when there may be better options.
As you'll see from my stats I'm a big commenter and with images that appear to be gratuitous B&W I do ask in a sensitive way what was behind the selection of mono and try to see if there's some other elements that might help in a different way.
It's all part of the learnign process for all of us.
Brett |
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11/08/2005 04:05:37 AM · #8 |
| ...just a thought: Given that the subject matter of this particular challenge was "Dead End" it seems natural enough that a lot of B&W images were submitted. Whether or not one believes they were "powerful" or not is (as others have pointed out) subjective. IMHO I don't find them "inappropriate". "Dead End" seems to fairly beg for B&W treatment, it seems to me. |
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11/08/2005 05:09:19 AM · #9 |
My commets weren't really prompte by 'Dead End', but I was able to use it to count the precentage simply because it only has 173 entries :)
No, it's become apparent to me over the last month as I commment on every photo I vote on or write up a critique for in Critique Club. |
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11/08/2005 07:15:51 AM · #10 |
deleted
Message edited by author 2005-11-08 07:29:17. |
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11/08/2005 10:15:56 AM · #11 |
Originally posted by KiwiPix:
Yep, it surely is a subjective thing - but an important one. To me, there are images that are powerful B&W and those that are flat, uninteresting and have no value added to them as monos. I am wondering aloud if B&W has become a crutch for some people when there may be better options.
As you'll see from my stats I'm a big commenter and with images that appear to be gratuitous B&W I do ask in a sensitive way what was behind the selection of mono and try to see if there's some other elements that might help in a different way.
It's all part of the learnign process for all of us.
Brett |
Expressing why you feel an image doesn't lend itself to B & W processing could help the photographer as much as asking for an explanation from the photographer will aid in your learning. That is all I was saying in my previous post.
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