I asked a couple of photographers who have tastes similar to mine when it comes to B&W a very simple question- "Who is doing B&W right these days doing a purely digital workflow?" The answer was a resounding- "Uhhhmmm, uhhhhh... let me get back to ya on that." Eventually, most got back with a scrap or two someone was doing here or there- safe to say that none of the names (new or old) were dedicating their life's work via digital monochrome.
First off, the vast, vast majority of photographers are not regularly shooting B&W of any kind these days. Period. So there's an infinitesimally smaller gene pool to choose from at the get go. And Salgado and the select few who have a multi-(multi) thousand dollar, digital workflow with tech not available to mortal man don't count. Second, we are most definitely not talking about the absolute control and technique freaks who are constantly trying to one up Ansel on the Zone System stairway to heaven. I'm sure if I was to throw the question out there to "the general public," I'd be deluged with an endless array of grand natural vistas done to digital, tonal perfection duplicated ad nauseum...
Particularly interesting is that so many photographers (incl Salgado) are forever trying to make digital look like film. And so the question must be asked... Why? Why this need to disguise the new and improved medium as the something that it replaces? With all that digital offers- why do so many try and disguise it as what it is not?
Perhaps that is why we don't have more photographers working digital monochrome today to the extent that we actually ignite a B&W revival. They can't figure out what's missing...
Particularly interesting is that so many photographers (incl Salgado) are forever trying to make digital look like film. And so the question must be asked... Why? Why this need to disguise the new and improved medium as the something that it replaces? With all that digital offers- why do so many try and disguise it as what it is not?
Perhaps that is why we don't have more photographers working digital monochrome today to the extent that we actually ignite a B&W revival. They can't figure out what's missing...
3 comments:
Comment from Dave Reichert:
(and a damn good one at that)
"Particularly interesting is that so many photographers (incl Salgado) are forever trying to make digital look like film. And so the question must be asked... Why? Why this need to disguise the new and improved medium as the something that it replaces? With all that digital offers- why do so many try and disguise it as what it is not?”
1. Because they like the look of film, but don’t have the ability or the desire to work with it anymore.
2. Because they want to continue working in, or are afraid or unwilling to change a style they’ve become accustomed to and/or have been very successful with. (Probably Salgado’s answer.)
3. Because they have the (mistaken) notion that film photography is somehow more “real” than digital.
4. Because they’re street photographers who took up photography in a post-film world and they’re imitating their mentors from the 60’s and 70’s.
5. Because they’re budding young photojournalists who… (see #4).
6. Because heavy grain and stark contrast can make any shot “look better”. (The B&W counterpart to "HDR can make any shot look better.”)
7. Because heavy grain and stark contrast can mask miserable technique.
8. Because they don’t have a high regard for, or a very well-developed concept of genuineness or authenticity.
9. Because the Instagram fad has sold them on the virtues of nuvo-antiquity.
10. Because Photoshop and Lightroom “film” plug-ins are so easy to use.
(I think that on an subliminal level, #3 is the most prevalent reason for anyone who moved from film to digital.)
So, my question in response is, why does it matter? I know you know that B&W digital can be done “right”, so I don’t understand why you’re on this quest… I don’t think you’re the kind of guy who values technique over content, and spends hours searching Flickr for photos taken with a particular lens or camera, so why is it an issue? Whether or not you would admit to it out loud, I’m guessing that #3 is where you’re at…
…and it doesn’t matter at all.
Perhaps I'm needlessly obsessing on the times that B&W digital doesn't work, which is admittedly decreasing, and is usually because of inadequate post.
It's the other times that concern me, the times I honestly can't quite put my finger on, perhaps because of my own inexperience with it. Honestly, I don't know... which is why I asked in the first place.
I likehow film looks, cell phone camera is a close second Virgin Mobile kind;)
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