Class 4: Achromatic Colors

Is the above image a black & white photograph or a color photograph?

Black = a combination of all colors in pigment form (subtractive)
White = a combination of all colors as light (additive)

Q: Scientifically speaking, is black a color? Is white a color?

A: Yes- There is no question that black and white are colors. The technical definition of color that is internationally agreed upon includes them as colors. This definition defines achromatic colors as follows: "A color lacking hue, such as white, grey or black". Basically, Black, White and Gray are colors that lack HUE.

Definitions of Color according to the ISCC (Inter Society Color Council) www.iscc.org

Munsell color system
The idea that there are three color dimensions: hue, value (lightness), and chroma (color purity or colorfulness)

COLOR TERMS:
ACHROMATIC: a color lacking hue; white or gray or black

HUE determines the weakness or intensity of a color.

LIGHTNESS (sometimes called value or tone) is a property of a color. It is the perceived brightness of a color for the human eye along a lightness–darkness axis. A color's lightness also corresponds to its amplitude, or strength.

SATURATION is the colorfulness of a color relative to its own brightness.


Are colors necessary to tell a story? Can you think of certain historical images that would have been more powerful if taken in color? When is color essential? Do we know enough about shape and form from everyday seeing that color isn't even necessary in photographs? What is more informative...form or color?
Take for example this famous image, from the Vietnam war of a little girl, naked and covered with napalm burns. Associated Press photographer Nick Ut captured the shot in 1972, just before helping the 9-year-old girl to a hospital in South Vietnam. What if the image were in color? What if you could see the blood and burns on her skin? Would it make it any more devastating? Or is it more powerful in B&W?


What about this iconic image of the Afghani girl with green eyes taken by National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry. Would it be as powerful if her eyes were not green or if the shot was in B&W?



Photographer/astronomers in the 1800's were fascinated with photographing the moon when only black and white photography was available. How important was it for them to see that image in color? Color photographs were taken by the first men on the moon in the late 1960's of the "moon soil". The photos show the gradations of gray, but could almost be mistaken for black and white images. How much more powerful was it for the American people to see the first photos on the moon containing a flag in color and a blue earth in the distance? Would those first moon pictures be just as powerful had they been in B&W?

Click to enlarge:


IN CLASS SHOOTING EXERCISE:
Using various "hue-less" objects (black, white, gray and clear objects) create still life images using the case lights and white, black or gray backgrounds. Pay special attention to the white balance. The goal is to make sure you don't have a color cast to the image- no bluish or orangish tones. Shoot a series of digital images in color. Use a color temperature meter or a corrective gel on your lens to get the shades of gray to look just as your eye sees them. Your resulting images should look black and white but actually be in color. FOR HW: Finish last week's assignment and make one 8x10 print of one "B&W" image you shot in class. Make an INKJET print (NOT LASER!) at the Graphics Lab (D building 5th Floor).

A shift in temperature change should be more easy to see when shooting color photographs of achromatic objects. Sometimes it is more difficult to see a slight color shift in skin tone or everyday color scenes.


In thinking about still life, for ideas of COMPOSITION, please refer to the works of the late Irving Penn for inspiration. Penn passed away only a few months ago and was known for his fashion and still life imagery.
Click HERE for a slideshow of some of his work.

Click image below for samples of his still life photos.


Erwin Olaf's recent Series up at Hasted Hunt right now called "Dawn" is a series of color photographs that look almost achromatic. Color photographs below by Erwin Olaf