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Dave wrote:
"....It's time to look at things differently when the sun is not
bright, but this is hard to
do if you are out shooting with someone else who has the standard RR
wedgie
imprinted on the brain. Especially if they gauge their day's RR
shooting
success on the quantity of trains that they shot that day...."
Greg wrote:
I've read both Dave's posting and David Busse's comments on B/W
photography and they both seem to be saying the same thing with the
exception of the choice of film (some things never change).
I'd like to tell you that I'm innocent of the trying to get the same
shot despite the light conditions but I'll confess to defaulting into my
old habits, but I'm trying to get better. I've even tried to shoot B/W
on sunny days and don't feel that I've violated any of the cardinal
sins.
I have a couple ideas on how the those of us weak in mind and spirit
fall back into these ruts. First we think that 100 speed B/W is faster
than 100 speed color. Granted the latitude of the most b/w is wider
than slide film but the speeds the same.
Second, our light meters don't "see" colors but light strength so
our camera's and light meters still give us the same "slower" speed
readings/settting.
Third, being hobbyist with often slower lens we're forced to open up
our apertures more than we might like, or settle for a slower shutter
speed. Each of these can contribute to the mother of all headlights and
flat pictures.
Fourth, we often get our inspiration from large pretty picture
books and train magazines. Unfortunately neither of these sources put
much emphasis on b/w photography so we left to our own old habits. Out
side of the intense flash photograph of that O. Wint guy and some old
steam shots (most of these a wedgies and roster shot) there isn't much
guidance.
I think that David Busse's comments are a bit restrictive in his
approach to b/w photography. It's my understanding that books and
publications prefer color to b/w which may be biasing his approach to
photography. If you're goal is to publish as many shots as possible
then a sane pragmatist will conform to the format of the publishing
company. I also don't think color will always create a "bigger" impact
that a b/w shot can. That one night/flash b/w guy (god I wish I could
think of his name) shots wouldn't have the same snap/push had then been
done on color slides or prints.
Further more I think the analogy was off the mark. I've heard you guys
bemoan the loss of the "old" Kodachrome process, so not everything
automatically gets better with time. To say that B/W is analogous to
driving a Packard, or watching a Muntz TV, taking a streetcar to work,
or using a Speed Graphic camera" is a cute sound bite; but it misses the
mark. A better analogy would be to say a film types are like golf
clubs, each as it intend purposes coupled with the skill and personal
preference of user.
Despite all this I still enjoyed the topic.
Greg Anderson
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