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In a message dated 98-05-12 00:58:35 EDT, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > I can't believe all of the work is "darkroom" related (i.e. burning & > dodging). I'd be interested to know how or who Ted got his > B&W education from. It isn't all darkroom, any more than a good color shooter is all EOS! Seeing in black and white doesn't mean ignoring the colors. It's looking at the lights and darks -- the most basic elements of an image -- to create an image that doesn't rely on color to exist. Sure, some black and white specialists have the gift, but they all live by the laws of lights and darks, as do the Koontzs and Kooistras, the Bensons and Jensons, the Dorns and Corns or the Steins and the Shaughnessys. It's calculating the highlights and shadows to separate a subject from its background or foreground, and knowing when it's best to do so, that makes a better shooter, color or black and white. Those who think in terms of tones will make the best images in color. Those glinted units heading off into the sunset are just as dramatic in black and white. A dusk sky with a unit and a few buildings protruding into it, will have just as dramatic a meaning in black and white. Sure, darkroom work may be part of it, but only for control freaks. Paying a custom lab to print black and white is no different than paying a lab to process your color. I happen to like darkroom work, and I miss having one (which has nothing to do with this note). All of you color jockeys might be pleasantly surprised if you kept the lights and darks in mind when composing photos. Shooting with the sun directly behind your back gives you no shadows, thus no texture. Going to the other side of the tracks will give you a dark outline on one side of the train, and if the shadow is long, the train actually gets more dominant in the frame. An interesting experiment might be to wear Ambervision glasses at some locations when planning a shot. If you can't easily see the desired image in the yellow monochrome environment, frame the train in some way that will make it stand out. Happy rails ....Mike ======================================================= -> SPORRS: 'Serious Photographers Of Railroad Related Subjects' -> Web Site: http://www.anet-stl.com/acphotog/sporrs/ -> Message © 1998 SPORRS® - All Rights Reserved =======================================================
