I would appreciate some thoughts from my smart friends. I'm not asking you which is "best", or what to do, just some thoughts and/or opinions.

I've been going to photography school - University of Wisconsin -- non-credit evening school. Right now we are "doing Urban Landscapes" and it's not, "go take a picture of so-and-so", this week's assignment is, "go take representational photographs and bring three or four to class next week on a theme of your choice". This is not a Photoshop Class - montage or collage is not desired ... just the photos. (But, I just couldn't resist on two of the B&Ws )

I decided my theme would be Movie Theaters; attempt to show how the small, neighborhood spots have all but disappeared and are now replaced by grand and glorious mega-theaters. My thought was ... if I'm going to show some old ones, maybe B&W would be more appropriate.



Maybe even a sepia tint?

But I also appreciate the strong colors on one of the old ones -- just love the wall mural (didn't try B&W on that view) -- and I like the neon (and parking lot reflections in the rain) on the new one. I believe if God wanted us to use B&W, he wouldn't have invented Kodachrome 64 !



What do you folks think about this? I really like both approaches and am dithering. I am thinking it would be best to use all color or all B&W, not a mixture - right? - wrong? I need some help in my thought process

Rusty

In my humble opinion, Rusty, I would go with the color for the class. The B/W's are really good but I think the color really shows the difference you are trying to depict.

I agree with Suzi to go with them all in color.

Great photos, by the way. I, too, would stick with the color for this assignment. Too much is lost with the B&W.

You know I am a fan of B&W... However, the theme calls rather for more objectivity. I had the opportunity to visit an exhibit of color photographs of Paris (autochromes, from 1907 to 1936). They were specially ordered to document the life of Paris. This city is not particularly colourful, grey is dominant, but the result was astonishing. It may be a challenge to photograph subjects where there is litlle colour, but where colour makes a difference.

Rusty, I'm putting my vote in on the color becuase it does show more character. The B&W's are nice but the color one's really stand out to me. Just my 2 cents worth.

Sounds like a great class, are you learning a lot?

Rusty,
Color makes the first and third photo really stand out. I'd go with sepia for the middle one because there is no stand-out color in it.IMHO
Chas

I like the color ones but in both the b&W and the color the jeep needs to go.
it just does not seem to fit the theme/time of the the photos. They are older theaters and the jeep is just a bit too new of a vehicle and to me seems out of place.

Really like the color versions!!

How nice that you are going to class. Do let us know what secrets you pick up?

Thanks y'all. That was exactly what I was looking for ... confirmed some of my thoughts, added some thoughts in different directions.

Some asked what I was learning -- not so much "new stuff", just how to arrange your thoughts in order to take photographs rather than snapshots For Urban Landscape we are going to shoot three assignments on successive weeks:

Representational: straightforward, what you see is what you get, pay attention to composition, detail, light, timing and/or weather.

Impressionistic: image should have elusive quality to give an impression or illusion.

Abstract: shape and form take priority, consider extreme close-ups or silhouettes, stretch imagination as impressionistic image could well fall into this abstract category.

The instructor has suggested that a well composed image is usually going to have one of the following:
geometric shape(s), leading lines, textures, patterns. And, as I reviewed the images I have, I'm not very happy with Times Cinema -- the picture is kind of blah (as Chas pointed out) -- I have a dozen or more shots and am still considered others. Now that I review my notes (summarized above) I understand why that shot doesn't do much for me: it doesn't contain a single one of the suggested elements that lead to good composition.

That's a pretty plain-jane building. There ain't many of these neighborhood theaters around any more, if I can't find another one, I'll probably go back and reshoot this one. Try to find some different angle or view that works better than what I have.

School is fun - a good thing. Gets you out of your comfort zone and makes you start thinking of things a different way.

Rusty