Monochromatic or not

[worledit]

Hello everyone, how are you? 

It happens to me sometimes that I feel like a photo would be better in black and white than in color. However, as the time past by, my opinion about those pictures changes. I know this is normal. .. But I'd like to know how do u chose whether to make monochromatic pictures or not. Here is an example that I'm not sure is as good as it would be in color.  

 

[Lou Cannon]

I agree with you... in monochrome it is seems to start it's own story... the effect that this image has could be reduced if you put it in colour... but on the flip side... anyone who purchases the rights to use this image can convert it to b&w... maybe submit both styles? -- though that can be a little redundent in the portfolio, it can sometimes help potential customers.

[Alexandre Rotenberg]

Submit both  

[Alexander Image]

I think, a stock image usually is not a final product, and it would be better to give your buyers some extra "space" or "feel" and let them make final decisions...

[Benedek Alpar]

As Alexandre said, you can submit both, i have a couple of duplicates monochrome and color, they doing well 😉

[KeremGogus]

I think the black and white photography is still really a special thing... Especially when its shot with a black & white film or digital sensor designed especially for that. 

[PhilipR]

I think the idea of sometime doing both make sense.  I can see this image being good in color but some buyers may not see the black and white potential so leading a horse to water at times pays off.

[Laurin Rinder]

Good B&W is a artform and I think must be studied and be enjoyed. doing it to the right Image is Important and a Bit More than just clicking a button. I agree to submit Both for stock BUT never next to each other preferably on another page. It's about shades of grey. I see in B&W. color has no real Interest to me and never really Has.. Probably from a ton Of years in a darkroom. I wish I could do Nothing But. Any other outlet I do besides MS Nothing But B&W A color shot at a gallery show?...Never happen.. and Buyers doing it?. Buyers aren't artists..... Not all anyway and not that Kind of artist, you can be a computer and program wiz. If ya don't see it. don't matter..  My B&Ws way outsell My color. The Lady On the Phone was 43 years ago pushing TriX to 10,000 ISO [THen Called ASA} caused quite a stir at the agencies. and got me the job.....LOL

Go to a gallery show. theres 20 Good Framed pics One is B&W. I guarantee you will probably look at that one first If Photography is a passion.  I have always Loved B&W from a kid in a Darkroom because those are the Folks  I studied, The Giants  ,To me, You can go anywhere.... you can tell stories that color can't do. Power,Friendship,Hate,Despair,addiction,Racism,Glamour,elements,Vintage,depression,Anxiety,Animals,power,Suicide,futuristic,Fantasy. etc,etc. To me the fun and skill of being a Photographer is working with Subjects to get the Most Out of them, through Lighting,Composition.Makeup or No makeup from the backgrounds used to Hair as supporting elements in the Overall. I love to go on the road and shoot the mountains and rivers and all that stuff and have Pretty Much covered he Planet. and theres a few still On the Bucket List..... But, In the end Im always looking for a face in a Gas station whatever and I can walk up to anyone and convince them to sit. I find people in a store that intrigue me, a neighbor etc. It doesn't matter luckily there are   People everywhere and I have changed someones direction in Life By Modeling, Older folks who thought that was it are doing commercials Now. and, Having a Blast.. Pretty girls and men are Nice. But trust me. That gets very  Old VERY fast. Characters are what turns me on. My best selling male model is 94 and working all the time now. My best selling Female was 98 when she died last year and I made sure she had her dream of someday walking down a red Carpet in Hollywood. Something she dreamed about since childhood In the Ukraine. And she posed Nude for me at 94. I thought her conservative daughter was going to have a heart attack....LOL

 

Give it a try guys. won't hurt ya. or shoot both as said. I do both But My color doesn't do as well, does better with the regular stuff. and I would Rather have the cover of a Publication than a small Image Buried inside. heres a little game. see if you can point out which One of these sold the best This is a very small sample of Images and as said a few going Back 43 years. Biggest issue I've seen over the years is folks trying it to apply to the wrong Images.I always shoot originals in Color unless they pre date digital.

My Opinion...Guess we have to use that Tag Line Now. LOL Good Job worledit

[Amanda Wayne]

49 minutes ago, Laurin Rinder said:

Good B&W is a artform and I think must be studied and be enjoyed. doing it to the right Image is Important and a Bit More than just clicking a button. I agree to submit Both for stock BUT never next to each other preferably on another page. It's about shades of grey. I see in B&W. color has no real Interest to me and never really Has.. Probably from a ton Of years in a darkroom. I wish I could do Nothing But. Any other outlet I do besides MS Nothing But B&W A color shot at a gallery show?...Never happen.. and Buyers doing it?. Buyers aren't artists..... Not all anyway and not that Kind of artist, you can be a computer and program wiz. If ya don't see it. don't matter..  My B&Ws way outsell My color. The Lady On the Phone was 43 years ago pushing TriX to 10,000 ISO [THen Called ASA} caused quite a stir at the agencies. and got me the job.....LOL

Go to a gallery show. theres 20 Good Framed pics One is B&W. I guarantee you will probably look at that one first If Photography is a passion.  I have always Loved B&W from a kid in a Darkroom because those are the Folks  I studied, The Giants  ,To me, You can go anywhere.... you can tell stories that color can't do. Power,Friendship,Hate,Despair,addiction,Racism,Glamour,elements,Vintage,depression,Anxiety,Animals,power,Suicide,futuristic,Fantasy. etc,etc. To me the fun and skill of being a Photographer is working with Subjects to get the Most Out of them, through Lighting,Composition.Makeup or No makeup from the backgrounds used to Hair as supporting elements in the Overall. I love to go on the road and shoot the mountains and rivers and all that stuff and have Pretty Much covered he Planet. and theres a few still On the Bucket List..... But, In the end Im always looking for a face in a Gas station whatever and I can walk up to anyone and convince them to sit. I find people in a store that intrigue me, a neighbor etc. It doesn't matter luckily there are   People everywhere and I have changed someones direction in Life By Modeling, Older folks who thought that was it are doing commercials Now. and, Having a Blast.. Pretty girls and men are Nice. But trust me. That gets very  Old VERY fast. Characters are what turns me on. My best selling male model is 94 and working all the time now. My best selling Female was 98 when she died last year and I made sure she had her dream of someday walking down a red Carpet in Hollywood. Something she dreamed about since childhood In the Ukraine. And she posed Nude for me at 94. I thought her conservative daughter was going to have a heart attack....LOL

 

Give it a try guys. won't hurt ya. or shoot both as said. I do both But My color doesn't do as well, does better with the regular stuff. and I would Rather have the cover of a Publication than a small Image Buried inside. heres a little game. see if you can point out which One of these sold the best This is a very small sample of Images and as said a few going Back 43 years. Biggest issue I've seen over the years is folks trying it to apply to the wrong Images.I always shoot originals in Color unless they pre date digital.

My Opinion...Guess we have to use that Tag Line Now. LOL Good Job worledit

 I'm gonna guess depressed old man is a big seller. Pharmaceuticals love Medicare. 

[Thomas J. Sebourn]

Nothing sexier than a good silver gelatin print!

[Simone Hogan]

I'd guess the distressed black woman (black lives matter)  or the young woman behind raindrops (depression etc).

The depressed old man is powerful as well, but I personally don't like the tight crop on the bottom. Don't know if other buyers would feel that way.

[paula french]

I'd guess the black woman behind the barbed wire

[Seleya]

17 minutes ago, paula french said:

I'd guess the black woman behind the barbed wire

+1

[worledit]

 

Love this five! you are a fucking genius...

I'd guess that the hands sold best, since it maybe has a wider market. But so hard to choose between such a pictures Lauren.

 

Thanks to all of you btw I'll submit both.

[mandritoiu]

Good examples of monochrome shots @Laurin Rinder!

They remind me of Lee Jeffries' style:

https://500px.com/leejeffries

 

[Laurin Rinder]

Actually my Work Is Nothing Like Lee's work I can see that someone May see the Lighting style. But thats a pretty big stretch.

I don't shoot Homeless people...Never have unless I was doing street work for Galleries Only [2 weeks ago I showed a few myself and some friends did in Downtown LA That have been around as long as I.]  And, even that I was doing Long Before Lee ran In his marathon and saw the homeless girl in a door way. 2011. Never would I do that on a website that can and has been compromised with theft Like Microstock and unfortunitely 500PX also... And Weather Lee sells His work piecemeal. Don't know and don't care. I have huge respect of course , I could never do That and Maybe he couldn't do what I do. I take Ordinary people who are Mostly actors and try to transform them into something else.And conjure up a Visual story or concept with Lighting,makeup,acting and Playing a part that I see.quite a difference. It's quite huge actually . I've done my share of reality a Long time ago. Now, I design it,Cast it and shoot it.

His people are amazing to study. and very striking. Every person In My port is either a actor,model,good friend or relative and None are anywhere near Homeless.. My Biggest Seller in portrait / stock Not on the ones i posted was My Mother in law and One of the first I sent in along with My next door neighbor "The Coal Miner". My Old guy was One of the Most Famous show Biz agents In NY. His Clients were Jackie Gleason,Johnny Carson,Orson Wells..etc. I've know him for 40 Years, he lets me really Mess up his Face. I love the guy. He's 94. he gets $40,000 for a commercial using that face from ME shooting it.

And through the Years, others have said I copied Dragen.........sorry I was doing this type of work when Dragen was in High School.

Paula and seleya  .....Right The Black Woman behind the chain Link fence. she has  done a ton of concepts for me. 2 about Racism, Then Love,then Glamour. Heres the drug addicted woman 30 Min before that shot.. The point is...you guys can do this If ya want. I've taught a whole Lot of folks how. I don't prefer models per'se because they are now told If there agents see there Pics on a stock site they will be dropped, That actually started about 5 Years ago. I prefer actors, they Like to show Range. and TFCD is fine with them. Give it a try guys people are fun. you can do it. they won't hurt you.I started with people. I would go to shopping Places as a kid and ask people to sit for me.

 

The addicted woman first

 

Next...heres a Monster seller. If i had 10 That sold this well. I wouldn't ever complain again. I called it "Aged American Indian Woman"2009  it is in reality My wifes mother. a very Wealthy Old Jewish woman who Just died and Lived In palm Springs. shot In a closet and One Light a good 10 Years ago..LOL

 

next , One of the best women I've ever met. she Just died also and was amazing. It was her idea to do a nude.At 97.

I have to go. sorry for taking your time. Im honored to be thought of With Lee jeffries and others But. trust I do My own thing. and all the other crap also.....lol

And last But not least the Black woman the ladies Picked in another Mood.

 

[mandritoiu]

I'm sorry if I struck a chord with these great examples of monochrome photos, @Laurin Rinder

I thought that the purpose of your examples is to teach others what it really means to create outstanding monochrome photos, not yet again, another self promotion (i.e. I did it first, before Lee Jeffries. Dragan (even if the whole world knows he coined a similar style) was in high school, when I did it, etc).

Because Lee Jeffries is an inspiration for many. His portfolio is simply amazing. Many forum contributors can learn a great deal from him. 

Fyi, he has always approched all his subjects with kindness and obtained their permission to work with him. He didn't steal their image like many street photographers do, when it comes to these unfortunate humans.

While you are using actors to fake emotions, the emotions he is depicting are very likely true to life. 

Btw, even if he is sharing his work on 500px (while you do it on some forum), Lee Jeffries is not selling it through stock, but through the likes of YellowKorner and other similar high-end outlets.