Monochrome bloodroot & acorns
Umm… no – get your mind out of the gutter. I am referring to black & white vs. color photography! As much as I like to think a photograph speaks to me as wanting to be black & white from the start, quite often it just doesn’t happen that way. I will process an image in color and start to notice certain characteristics that might look great as a monochrome. Or on a whim, it is just a “what if” moment. Actually I am quite fond of black & white imagery, it has a great classic appeal, and removes so many distractions that color may impose.
However, there are images where I am just quite fickle – and I like it both ways – bouncing back and forth between liking one version just a little better. This recent shot of the bloodroot and acorns is one of them. Old wood is nearly always a great candidate – and similar to the contrast of fall and spring that exists in the subject matter – the contrast of fragile and delicate vs. rough and weathered becomes more pronounced in the black and white version. It is one of the instances where I cannot simply show just one version – so now both are out there. I am sure there are people that will prefer one over the other – that’s just the way it goes. That is fine with me – since I like them both – you aren’t going to hurt my feelings by choosing sides.
Tags: acorns, black & white, Bloodroot, monochrome
http://t.co/1xjuh7fT - posted on 22 hours ago
I could not agree with you more. When i started off in photography I learned on an old SLR with black and white film. Ever since I have feel in love with Black and White. Color is great, but black and white changes the entire paradigm of concept interpretation. Great post!
OK. I’ll choose sides.
For flowers, and such, I think that I like color better, though I would agree with you about the old wood. For this particular picture, I much prefer the color.
I definitely prefer the color!
Thanks folks!
Well…I agree with you Mark where a photo may look good one way or the other or even as both. I think I have to go with the monochrome image on this one. I like how it brings out texture in the wood and the acorns. I love your work, keep it up!!
I like the colour one much better. I think you lose the warm colours that make the image so special, I liked the Autumn vs Spring tension which is totally lost in the B&W version IMHO.
My first reaction to the monochrome was, I like the color best. The more I looked at it the more I liked the monochrome as well. The monochrome makes the flower stand out more, which changes the image quite a bit.
I like the b&w a little more Mark, for me it is whatever mood I am in, many times a good b&w conversion will make it and then sometimes color is the only way too go.
I usually let my wife and son decide