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Permalink Reply by Adam Halloran on January 7, 2017 at 1:16pm

I don't collect photos, but I visually am always drawn to black and white as it (mostly) seems classier. I think it also depends on the subject. I think vintage items are definitely more appealing in b&w, however a modern action shot might play better in color. I think posed images in b&w are more appealing too.

I would probably say blue would pop better in b&w, but red would be sharp for sure.

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Permalink Reply by Joe W. on January 7, 2017 at 1:33pm

What got me to thinking about this is I recently reviewed hundreds of signed Carrie Fisher photos and the black and white ones were far superior. Then, I took a long look at my collection and realized that the black and white ones were far nicer than the color ones. Something about the black, white, with shades of grey. Blue, red, and even green ink really pop the signature.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on January 7, 2017 at 2:09pm

Hi Joe,

For me, nothing is better than quality double-weight black and white still from the 30'sor 40's. Even the still I have from 2001 is b/w. Very little color. For ink I really love emerald green fountain pen and dark green too - also that black/blue.

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Permalink Reply by Joe W. on January 7, 2017 at 2:16pm

There is just something more sleek and classic about the black and white photos. The silver gelatin photos of the vintage era are the best. The green fountain pen signatures are extremely attractive. BTW, your Nicholson signed in green really stands out as well. I guess I never realized how partial I am to them over the color until I started looking more closely.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on January 7, 2017 at 2:23pm

Yes exactly Joe, the gelatin silver prints, toned or not, and the pearl finishes and matte finishes - so much nicer than most all color. The Gregory Collection was notable in this respect especially. The quality of the photography. The emerald green...I think the regular (esp more recent) blue seems to "fight" with the b/w more. I don't know how else to word that.

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Permalink Reply by Paul on January 7, 2017 at 2:53pm

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Permalink Reply by Adam Halloran on January 7, 2017 at 2:57pm

The b&w has a timeless approach. I guess the way I look at it is if you think about it as memories, you might not always remember the details...like color. The images remain and it leaves an impression of the period. Good topic!

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Permalink Reply by Joe W. on January 7, 2017 at 3:04pm

Paul, the b/w really looks great and better, imo, than the color.

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Permalink Reply by Joe W. on January 7, 2017 at 3:05pm

Maybe it's because of the autograph being the focus for us. Sometimes the color images are too busy and the graph can get a bit lost.

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Permalink Reply by Paul on January 7, 2017 at 4:15pm

Steven Gullick, is the Nirvana photographer was really impressed by that black and white image, that was my choice! It really needs to be done professionally, the black and white images.

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Permalink Reply by Paul on January 7, 2017 at 4:21pm

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Permalink Reply by Paul on January 7, 2017 at 4:25pm

To me it's all about the quality of the photo, if it's black and white or colour. If the photo's are from the original negatives or slides. Eric knows all about this, im sure.

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