Color #1
In the last blogpost we discussed when we might want to work in Black and White as opposed to Color. Accordingly, I want to at least begin an initial discussion about Color in this blogpost. Color is quite a complicated topic, so we will probably return to it a number of times in the coming months. Specific to this blogpost, I want to discuss three of the most common situations where working in color makes almost intuitive sense:
1- Photo is about color
2- Color augments the concept being discussed
3- Gray scale separation is extremely limited, and color will quickly allow for an easy read of image
Some photos are simply about color on a formal level. Accordingly, the removal of color either disrupts the meaning of the image, changes the meaning of the image, or generates confusion. This issue arises commonly when we are working in detail, or an obscure still life situation where we are already half way to confusion about the content in the photo. In the first photo above of a construction circle, the visual goal was to contrast a highly saturated tone with a neutral tone. With removal of color from this photo, we are left with an abstract image with a very narrow gray scale range image of little interest. The second photo above is a detail photo of a colored lamp globe, whose output is close to impossible for a digital camera to record in jpeg mode. This photo is about the tonal outcomes generated by sensor limitations, and the generation of 2 values of one basic color of the lamp. When this photo is converted to black and white, we have moved from discussing color value, into a discussion of differing gray scale tonality. While the color photo is of interest due to the actual tonalities and the rhythm of alternating tonal bands, this second photo is a mere technical demonstration of mechanical failure with limited visual impact.
The second area noted above is Augmentation, and to that end we need to compare the two versions of this fruit stand at sunset east of Sacramento on a late autumn day. This is a situation where the meaning of the image is immediately apparent, whether in color or black and white, but visual impact varies markedly based upon tonality. In black and white, this is just rural vernacular architecture, but in color every warm tonality in the photo seems to glow from within from the last sunlight of the day. We rally get a sense of the locale in color and the experience of being there. In a situation like this, color makes the photo both less clinical but also more experiential.
The last thing I want to discuss in this blogpost are grey scale problems in black and white, and color can be used to separate out the planes in an image where contrast is on the lower side. The classical example of this is a portrait of person with dark hair near a bare tree in autumn. In black and white, it is not unusual for the person to look like a tree branch is growing out of their head. We can also see this issue arise in any gray scale area where the contrast range is pretty narrow like the photo of my friend's shower curtain above. In this photo, the removal of color takes away the spatial separation between the tile wall and the shower curtain. What is important to note here is color can easily separate the planes in a photo that is relatively low contrast. As this pairing above implies the introduction of color into a low contrast situation can strongly influence visual impact.
