In both worlds

Why black and white?
Take a photo in colour, look at the photo, you look at the photo.
Take a photo in black and white, look at the photo, a feeling or emotion is triggered.

Bear in mind, a good photograph is a good photograph. What response are you aiming to get? What feeling are you trying to convey?

Elitism? That only occurs if one assumes their knowledge or experience cannot be equalled.

Assumption is the mother of all f*ck-ups, in my profession.

So, whilst doing the touristy-type stuff on holiday, I got talking to some old guy who was babbling on about how he should’ve brought his camera with him. The conversation went something like…

O.G. - “How much were that?” (old guy points to Canon 350D dangling from my shoulder)
Self - “About eight-hundred pounds”
O.G. - “Ah, I thought it were” (old guy smirks)
Self - “Mind you, I paid less than that…” (points to 350D) “… for this…” (whips out Leica Standard from shoulderbag)
O.G. - “Ah, but that’s better though” (old guy smirks again, and points to the 350D)

At this point, my brain decided to not process that comment. The old guy had said something I wasn’t expecting. A second or two later…

Self - “What?” (thanks to brain not processing)
O.G. - “That Canon, it’s better than that other one”
Self - “… it is??” (still disbelieving what I’m hearing)
O.G. - “Aye, y’can’t download photos from that other one, can yer?”

So, history, build quality, longevity and reliability can go out of the window, provided you can download photos instantly.

I look out of the window, I see grey skies and rain. I’m not bothered.

See you all in a weeks time.

Hmm… I’m definitely unconvinced about the “advantages” of raw files, with digital cameras. Have a photo, processed with “Raw Essentials”…

Ok, I “recovered” detail in the backing fabric, that was lost in the defaults, but the blacks/shadows are almost a mass now.

No, sorry, raw files do nothing for me. I’m pro-JPG as ever.

Finally, after saying “I’ll buy one”, I’ve got round to actually buying one… a Kodak Brownie 127 mk3…

This, or one of these, got me started on photography, all those years ago. At that time, TLRs were easily bought (provided you had the money, of course) brand new in camerashops, rollfilm was not something that was shoved into a corner of a shop, darkroom equipment… well, you were tripping over the stuff.

A far cry from todays “Photography” shops, which now happily stock computer printers, inket paper and (*UGH*) image-stabiliser lenses.

I digress… as usual.

You’ll not believe how difficult it’s been to find one of these things. The mk1… 10-a-penny, the mk3… it’s not easy to think of it this way, but it’s not common. Film for it? It’s available, www.retrophotographic.com stock black and white 127 film. Is this camera going to be used? You bet!