Kitz Forum
Chat => Chit Chat => Topic started by: sevenlayermuddle on June 06, 2019, 11:39:06 PM
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This is something that crops up a lot these days, old monochrome photos “transformed into colour” by modern processing.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-48544713
Am I alone in thinking, the B&W originals are infinitely more atmospheric and “truthful” if that makes sense, the fake colour versions rather cheapening the occasion?
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Am I alone in thinking, the B&W originals are infinitely more atmospheric and “truthful” if that makes sense, the fake colour versions rather cheapening the occasion?
No, you are not alone.
Looking at the examples, on the BBC link that you provided, the coloured versions immediately make me think "from which film have these stills been taken?"
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I was watching one of those react channels yesterday that was called 'Elders React To Seeing Their Black And White Photos In Color For The First Time'
It's interesting how the perception of the photo changes and the emotion that comes out of the people looking at them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOZduW811Hw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOZduW811Hw)
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Prefer the B/W ones. Colourising isn't quite there yet. :)
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For as long as I can remember, my Dad carried two photos in his wallet, both taken a Voigtlander camera that he exchanged for cigarettes, from surrendering german troops, in 1944/5.
One was a photo of himself and some contemporary WWII conscripts, with a camel and a pyramid in the background, taken just post war in a context I never really understood. The other was a rather fetching photo of a lady standing by the railings on Blackpool Pier that, on closer inspection, was my Mum.
These photos were very precious to him and he showed begrudging gratitude when I scanned them, and photoshopped out some of the scratches and defects. But I really can’t imagine he’d have been impressed if I’d gone for the “cartoon” look of imaginary colours. :-X
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I agree with the above. I've got some precious photos of my parents and grandparents from the '40s, and frankly they would look ridiculous if they were colourised. Just for your delectation, here's one of me with my big sister:
(https://i.postimg.cc/py3rBQRy/EandM.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/py3rBQRy)
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No you are not alone. I much prefer the B&W for the reasons you stated.
@Eric. Weren't you just the cutie. Just look at those gorgeous blond curls :D
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Weren't you just the cutie. Just look at those gorgeous blond curls :D
I do remember a few photos of my own big sister and I, but no curls. I’m sure there was one, similar ages to Eric’s, standing in a layby at the side of the road en-route to summer hols. I was wearing an outfit - jumper & shorts, entirely home-knitted by Mum. Crikey, I hope that never finds its way onto the internet! :blush:
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7LM, I was put in a similar knitted set, IIRC over those 80 years, yellow and brown. Ugh!
This is deserting form topic a little bit, but I seem to recall some years back, that early b&w negs carried colour info, which had been extracted and a colour positive produced. Vague memory says output was crude.
I also came across something more recent on the creation of colour prints (https://petapixel.com/2016/11/25/creating-color-street-photo-using-black-white-film/) from b&w negs.