Flash back to black and white

I have been transfering my old VHS tapes to DVD.  This time of year I tend to have more time to do that.  There are fewer shows on TV to watch and it allows me the time to dub them over and do the minor editing needed. 

For those that don't know me well, I often say that I was born in the wrong time.  Many of my favorite songs are from 1915-1958.  I appreciate the knowledge needed by the original film makers in order to get the correct contrast so that the stars stood out and didn't run together in a blob on the screen. (Obviously, I have many movies from that era too.)

Here are some examples for you to understand color versus black and white.  My white egg with a red/white hat, red shoes and yellow arms sitting on a black surface.



Humpty Dumpty in Color

Photographers needed to understand the importance of the negative.  See how the black around the eyes and mouth appear white below.  The white is actually showing up as a dark gray.  Both the color photo and the negative appear to have good contrast.  But is it good enough for a black and white shot?



 

Humpty Dumpy as a Negative

In black and white, this little fellow did well.  The red is bold enough to be seen but notice how the yellow of the arms blend in with the white?  The original movie makers saw the actors and actresses in full color and at the same time imagined how they would display in black and white. 


Humpty Dumpty in black and white

I took a photo of a Christmas conert I was at a few weeks ago.  This is the normal clothing that we wear.  The kids were holding bright red folders.  Notice how they contrast with everything the same as the dark green Christmas tree with it's white lights.  If not for the few patterns in the childrens clothing, many of them would blend together and blend into the background. 

Black and White example of concert

Can you imagine being able to transform the bright and colorful into a meaningful contrast of black and white?  Top Hat a 1935 film staring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers is a perfect example of this talent.  You can tell the prominance of the character by the way that they stood out from the back ground.  I really do admire those original film makers that only had black and white available to work with. 

The color of it all

There are a few people that choose to print their photos in Sepia, a brown/aged photograph look.  Not a true black and white but intended to give the look of a black and white that has been aged about a hundred years.



Humpty Dumpty in Sepia