On Mon, 23 Aug 2004, Bob W wrote:
In one of his obits they quoted HCB somewhat as follows (from my poor memory):
"The hunter does not need to be the cook".
There seem to be 2 schools of thought:
1) Learn about the process from start to finish and this will help you get better
2) Take pictures, tweak from experience and this will help you get better.
It just comes down to whether you learn the theory as theory or have it filter in naturally through experience. For me (and just for me, other people are different, just look at the size of their heads!) the learning about the B&W development/printing process gave me a faster understanding of what is possible from photography, as this is the way I learn best. Others may not get anything from being taught the tech, and will see better through example.
Anyway, i think that using b&w film to take pictures (no matter who does the developing) is a useful learning tool. It removes any distraction that colour would add to an image and lets us focus on shade and composition. It gives a way for us to see the everyday world in a different light - without colour. Taking the lessons you learn from taking B&W photos can (for me, yet again everyone is different etc) improve your colour work as well as making you think differently and maybe add new tricks to your repetoire.
however, i also agree with cotty, that seeing an image appear in a developing tray after you've just fiddled with an enlarger is fantastic. it is just like in the movies :)
billy
(and in realtion to the HCB quote at the top, hunter's don't need to know how to cook what they hunt, and cooks don't need to know how to hunt. However, knowing a bit about either side will help. The cook not paying you as much for not providing what he wants will also teach you by example to change your tactics :) I like metaphor, you can sometimes twist them to mean anything...)
-- Hear no evil, see no evil, play no volleyball Billy Abbott billy at cowfish dot org dot uk
