B&W Forum - Yes or No

[AntZ]

Having a B&W section might get some of us thinking more about B&W. To be honest the only time I really consider the sections is when I start a thread or when I check if a post is in the critique section. I almost exclusively use the today's post search.

I'm not opposed, but don't see a huge need for it. Can the number of posts on a page be made larger?

[Fortytwo]

How many categories will we need for the future to cover all eventualities?

Depends on what you want. B/W doesn't quit fit in the categories already here. Terms like "architecture" or "portrait" are about the subject of the photo. B/W is about the technique used. Personally, I wouldn't mix them up. Either you sort on subject (animals/people/architecture/landscapes etc) or on technique (bw/macro/panorama etc).

My personal preference is on subject. Because that tells the story. Technique is more of a means to an end.

[Wicked Dark]

My preference is to not have a B&W bucket becuase it will get lost and also because its imprecise. I have no interest in portraits and thus never go look at any, but if it were caught up in a larger bucket I'd have to wade through more threads than I do now just to get to something that has meaning or interest for me. Perhaps if there were the same subcategories as we have now it would eliminate this, but it would still be yet another forum and set of threads to go through and I don't know how much benefit it would bring. I do a fair amount of b&w and don't see why they should be segregated from the other shots simply because they aren't in color.

[Mad Aussie]

I posted a bunch of B&W's into the Alternative Photography section last night. The ALternative Photography has 'Sepia' listed so I figured B&W is also a monotone and could go there for now.

Perhaps that's all that's needed? B&W to be added to the description for the Alternative Photography section. These days it is more of an alternative I guess.

[Mad Aussie]

I already posted in the other thread (with the poll)

anyone mind if I MERGE THREADS?

Nope... I don't mind.

[ericmark]

I ask myself why present an image in black and white.
• Cheaper was first reason as colour film was more expensive.
• Availability never seen colour film in old 120 format.
• Higher dynamic range.
• Easier to process.
All of course only valid with wet process.
• Colours messed up due to lighting.
Most discharge lighting is monochrome although not black and white more likely orange and white and where an area are lit with a mixture of light sources then often the colours are meaning less and to convert to black and white is likely best option.
• Impact
The lack of colour draws ones eye to different parts of the image and this can be further enhanced by returning colour to selected areas. However the same can be said for any other filter and have sections for every filter in the Photoshop arsenal would not make sense.

However a section for wet process may be? Where those who still use a darkroom and use the enlarger to modify their image, they may wish to talk about this unique part of the process. Which to those of us that us that use digital we would likely find boring.
My sister still dabbles in the dark art and with a name like Ceridwen, it suits her. (In Welsh, it means white witch) I however can never see myself returning to sticking bits of card in over exposed areas to reduce exposure and spending 2 hours to produce one completed image, which I have to go through whole process again to repeat.

However I can understand others will. So if you want a section for wet process then I see no reason to object. This would include colour for those who are really into dark art and don’t even have a safe light.

But where people are not talking about how to process but it’s artistic content they could still include their images in the other sections.

Question must be how many members dabble in the dark art? I think appropriate name since they have to turn lights off! Unless the forum has members who use wet process then no point in a wet process section.

And there will I am sure be people like me who no longer have an interest but have done it in the past. and I would be unlikely to look in a wet section so if there are very few members who still use it they could find the odd question goes unanswered because no one is reading the posts where if not separated those a little older in the tooth could have answered their question.

So I would say no to Black and White section. I am a little more flexible with a monochrome section, which would include sepia and sodium lighting but still can’t see it really needs its own section. Although I would support a wet section if there were enough members who still use the wet process.

[QuietOne]

I do think MA's solution of using the Alternative forum is a good one. His post there was specifically to try out doing B&W. If that's the emphasis for a photo, that would be a good place to put it.

[AcadieLibre]

This is one I think should be done, and its own forum opposed to a sub forum. Black and white is a very well regarded and has a historic importance to the life of photography. So I say yes, just on the importance of B&W to the promotion of photography as an art forum is well warranted. I see B&W more of an art form than colour, a very, very personal taste bias I admit but at this time I shooting 80% B&W and I am in the June starting film again and it will be all B&W.

T:L: D.R; Hell Yea

[Marko]

Please note that the other BW thread has been merged here for ease.
I've also reopened the poll in case anyone has not voted.
Thx!

marko

[JAS_Photo]

I am with Acadie on that!