Baker's Dozen: 'It Must Be Color' (Part II: Subtle Colors)

Photo by Tim Couttreel

Photo by Lee Shively

Photo by Stephen Cowdery

Photo by Marcelo Guarini

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Tim Couttreel writes: "I had some trouble finding a photograph that 'must be in color.' In most of my photographs the color adds another dimension, but it is not essential. I guess this is because most of my photographs are more about light and composition. But this one is an exception (although for me the gravel is what makes this photograph) and the funny thing is that if you do a straight B&W conversion the 'No Parking' sign almost completely vanishes (try it!).

"This photograph is part of a series I made about signs prohibiting all sorts of (weird) things. It's a really nice photograph when printed very large. I had one made that's 175cm wide for the group exhibition we did.

"Now for the details: My name is Tim Couttreel and I live in Belgium. This photograph was taken with the Olympus E-M10 and the Olympus 25mm ƒ/1.8."

Lee Shively (AKA 'Dogman') writes: "I debated on whether or not to send this but finally decided to do so. It’s not spectacular and the color is subdued. I don't even know the identity of the lady pictured but the photo means a lot to me. I hope you'll indulge me with a short story.

"For almost 18 months I've had several health issues that have limited my ability to travel or even get around much except in my general neighborhood. Of course that also means the scope of my photography was also limited. At first, it was depressing. But I eventually began to appreciate the visual treasures in the commonplace subjects around me. Without getting too deeply into the matter, this particular photo was done in the surgical waiting room at a local hospital in November 2017. I was there waiting to be called into the preparation room for another surgery, a surgery my doctor felt would finally resolve my biggest health issue. The lady pictured was apparently there with a relative or friend who was scheduled for surgery. The light caught my eye along with the lady's silhouette, red hair, and plaid shoes. Later when I printed the photo, I thought is had a 'Hopperesque' look to it. Oddly enough, I had been concentrating on B&W for some time prior to this, but this one had to be in color.

"I shot it with a Ricoh GRII, in raw, and processed it with Lightroom 6. I’m located in Shreveport Louisiana.

"By the way, the surgery seems to have been a success. I've become more mobile and I’m able to get out and run errands and socialize a bit. I expect to continue to improve and be able to seek new photograph subjects. 2018 is looking like a good year for me."

Stephen Cowdery writes: "My submission is Two Women.

"Shot with Pentax 110 50mm ƒ/2.8 lens, ISO 800, 1/400 sec @ ƒ/4.5 on a Pentax Q7.

"Pretty much a straight image, with some minor cropping and other corrections. The flat north light on the scene made the contrast between the women's skin and hair and the drab background work for me. I tried a B&W conversion, but I couldn't capture the 'serene' quality of the scene.

"I live in Anoka, Minnesota. Here's my website."

Marcelo Guarini writes: I spotted this small beach around 10 years ago from a plane at 30,000 feet up, while traveling to the north of Chile. I was on a business trip. As I arrived to Santiago on the way back, I found the place on Google Earth, and started to make a way to go there, no roads, no trails, nothing. On September 2007 I tried to reach the place with my brother and respective sons in two 4WD vehicles. We spent seven hours from La Serena, located around 200 km away. Today we take 2.5 hours from the same place. The place is just pristine since no one goes there. We found that the place is super windy, with gale force winds. Camping is very difficult, but it is absolutely beautiful.

"The morning I took the picture on September 2013, the wind was unusually calm and the scene very beautiful, so I tried a long exposure with an Olympus OM-D E-M5 with a Voigtlander 17.5mm ƒ/0.95 and a 15-stop SinghRay ND filter mounted on a Gitzo tripod. The image was originally intended to be a B&W photo. Every long exposure I tried before, during strong winds, were blurred, so I was very lucky this time. When I saw the image in color, I immediately thought that will be difficult to make a better B&W version, the colors were beautiful that morning. Since then, every once in a while I imagine a B&W version and sit down on the computer to work it, but I have never succeeded, so I think this is could be a candidate for 'It Must Be Color.'

"The exposure was around three minutes at ƒ/11 I think. The Voigtlander ƒ/0.95 maximum aperture is very convenient in this case since it allows me to compose and manual focus with the 15 stop ND filter screwed in front (a very grainy viewfinder image, but enough to precisely get focus)."

I just thought that in the middle of this Baker's Dozen it would be interesting to offer a "counterpoint" to the received idea that color pictures have to be of bright, vibrant, or strong primary colors. What are your thoughts?

[To be continued...]

Mike

P.S. This is cheating, but as an addendum to this group, another subtle picture:

Chester Williams, The Goodbye Kiss

Chester writes:

Hi there...

My name is Chester Williams and I live on the Caribbean island of St Lucia.

The image is called "The Goodbye Kiss"....

It was taken in an old dilapidated building that had an old wonderful love story happen under its roof...now missing.

I was there with three other photographers who failed to see the image and completely dismissed me about its possible impact. I guess the love story was in my mind and my eye too....

I just love its pastel colors...which add a warm romantic feeling.

Appreciate the opportunity....

I appreciate the picture, and the sentiment, but I can't make a determination as to whether color is necessary in this picture or not. I'm going to have to leave this one entirely up to the TOP commentariat to decide about. What's your feeling?

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

David Dyer-Bennet: "'The Goodbye Kiss' is very interesting. The fleshtones in (well, on) the cement (or whatever the surface is) helped me see it as a face instantly. I saw that instantly, before getting down to the title (which certainly would also predispose me to seeing the face). (They also contribute to my liking the picture for roughly the reasons the photographer gives.) Having seen it this way, doing a quick B&W conversion doesn't really tell me enough; my mind is already made up what it is, and I can't see it for the first time again. So...I report that the color seemed central in my instantly seeing the face in it, but I can't honestly express an opinion about whether the color is necessary. I'm inclined to think it's not, but that's speculation."

Rob Griffin: "I am with the other friends of TOP who are calling for a print sale of 'The Goodbye Kiss.' To me, it is an iconic photograph that I will remember in my mind's eye for the rest of my life. I would still love to own a print though. My heartfelt thanks to Chester Williams and also to you, Mike, for sharing it with us."

Bahi: "Can't tell you how much I'm enjoying this whole colour thread. Thanks for doing it—I know it was a tough one to adjudicate (if that's the right word) but the results are stellar, as are so many of the comments. Fantastic! My reaction to the 'The Goodbye Kiss' was exactly the same as David Dyer-Bennet's—I saw the face and the mouths while scrolling, before even parsing the title."

Comments

[Steve]

Wonderful stuff!!!!

[Jnny]

RE: Chester Williams, The Goodbye Kiss

I think I see your next print sale.

[Dogman]

Thanks, Mike. I didn't really expect you to use my photo but I'm glad you thought enough of it to do so.

I'm honored to be in the same company as the others whose works are represented here.

[Zave Shapiro]

I'm writing about the Chester Williams shot in your colour series. It talks to me. It talks to me deeply. I'd love to have a print of it. Is there any way, Mike, that you could act as matchmaker, or is this more common than I think? Is there an opportunity for you here? I know exactly the size I want as it is a wonderful complement to a picture that I own.

[Eolake]

Lovely.

Olympus, Pentax, Ricoh... compact cameras.

[JOHN GILLOOLY]

Love the Goodbye Kiss!!! Great seeing.

john

[Stephen Cowdery]

Thanks for including me!

I like Eolake's comment about compact cameras.

I don't know what that means in this context, but it might be that biggest isn't always best, and that it can sometimes interfere with sensitivity.

[Ken Tanaka]

This group of images is also very good. But it’s a group that seems to be less about color than it is about seeing, with color involved. That’s absolutely not to detract from any of the images. But it’s a quiet group of things seen between breaths. Some good background sketches too, eh?! It’s fascinating what we remember about some of our images.

[Steve Caddy]

I'm not so sure that colour is necessary in the Goodbye Kiss, but I don't care, it's a wonderful, wonderful image. I saw it immediately.

[Marcelo Guarini]

Thanks Mike for considering my photo. My favorite of this bunch is Lee Shivelys "Lady in the room", love it.

[Robert W Smith]

Like them all but the Goodbye KISS is brilliant

[Ken Tanaka]

I would add that Chester Williams’s well-seen “Goodbye Kiss” does not require color to convey its cleverness, at least not to my eye. Its illusion is built upon placements and proportions to trick our minds into familiarity.

I very much enjoy such images and believe their capture to be among the most difficult and unique challenges a photographer can face. By way of comparison this wonderful image by Matt Stuart is an example that does rely, at least partially, on color for its illusion. (I bought a print of this last year.)

[John Krumm]

Well, I like them all. Hard to pick a favorite, though maybe Tim's shot of the road, which is simple and perfect. To me they all stand out by being subtle and intelligent, somehow. That's the impression, as a group.

[Chester Williams]

As a lonely photographer on the tiny (238 Square miles) Caribbean island of St Lucia, I wish to thank Mike for displaying my image..it is indeed an honor! More honored, though, to have read these wonderful comments by such a knowledgeable group of the "TOP commentariat."

Hey Mike..I am open to have this as one of your print offers too!! Bottle of Rum included? My people can talk to your people.. anytime.

Thanks!

Chester

[Tom Bell]

I wonder if a black and whote conversion of the Kiss makes us come to it more gradually.
No matter and any way up it is simply magical.

[Michael Perini]

Goodbye kiss is just a wonderful image.
I don’t know how critical color is to it , it I like the subtlety of the color and since that is the way Mr Williams chose to present it , it is a color image to me.
I especially like that is all in the Photographer’s eye.
Wonderful picture.

[Jim A]

Subtle color as a necessity is an interesting point. These wonderful images certainly succeed in that regard. When this call for work was first announced, I immediately thought of some neon images I've made over the years which are anything but subtle. I have a nice image of a Dale Chihuly neon tower (orange sherbet in color) set against a Sonoran sunset that demands color but I just couldn't see submitting a photo containing another artists work.

I love the green in Stephen's photo. The beautiful women are also a bonus but the green makes it for me. I think this is my favorite. I don't typically stop to consider my own biasses (color affinity) when viewing a photo but this came up today.

I viewed this group without reading the photographers comments and after reading Lee's 'Hopperesque' note, I like his photo even more. I had not seen that aspect on first glance. I did see Chester's face on first glace though. That's a great shot.

[Steve Jacob]

Lee Shively's waiting room poster is wonderful.

When I worked in the US for many years, I came to refer to that kind of decor as 'American brown'. It brings back memories of so many country motels that I stayed in at the time.

[Keith]

A print AND rum sale! Sign me up.

[Tim Couttreel]

What a surprise, after being offline for about a week I open TOP and see that my photograph has been selected for the Baker's Dozen! Didn't expect that to happen. I'm honoured.

I also like 'The Goodbye Kiss'. It's color is indeed very subtle. It adds warmth to the photograph, which I guess would be lost in B&W.
By the way, I also love how you always cheat to show more than 13 photographs ;-)

I'm enjoying these Baker's Dozen posts, they are educational and it's always fun to see other peoples interpretation of an assignment.

[J D Ramsey]

I liked many of the shots in this edition, but this and Guarini's photo are absolutely stunning. Yes, yes, yes, The Goodbye Kiss must be in color. The subtlety of it would be lost without the color!

[Øyvind Hansen]

I have liked all the photos in the series so far. Guarini's photo looks amazing, and I love the backstory too.

[Ade]

The Goodbye Kiss is remarkable - it's that tender 'closed eyelash' that makes it. I can see it would still work in b/w, but it needs the colour tones for the full immediate impact I think.

[Chester Williams]

A friend of mine was so inspired by my image, The Goodbye Kiss, that she wrote a poem about it. Hope you enjoy...

One Last Sun Splintered Sunrise, One Last Goodbye Kiss

These tremulous years
have shaken the mortar of my bones
and left me splintered,
entwining sunbleached days
into the crevasses of my face

I have seen
sunrises that have wept beauty
and teased me from sleep,
shadows languidly creeping
through an ache of days,
and felt the rain
pit my cheeks with tears

this shattering,
slow at first
has crept in a spiderwork of veins
that has wedged between us,
moss growing
in every nook,
darkened from all our yesterdays,
and I can feel you
pulling away from me
in an agonising rip
that cannot be plastered over
with any words,
for they are all short
of I love you

so I will leave you
with the sandy marrow
of my weakened strength
and lean in
for one last kiss goodbye.

[Andy]

Mike, Chester,

Please do get your people talking to each other. The Goodbye Kiss grabbed me straight away, and my better (and wiser) half is similarly impressed. I can't remember another image getting instant joint approval.

On another note, if you go ahead, I'll be seeking recommendations for a heavy duty drill. The picture is already virtually in place as far as the wiser part of the decision making unit is concerned. Unfortunately for the other half of the DMU, he is aware of how normal drilling just bounces off the wall concerned. Don't even suggest "just tapping in" a picture hook.

[Gerard]

I wonder if face recognition sw would recognise a face in the goodby kiss.
If not, than there is still hope for mankind.

[Doug Thacker]

I'm way late to this discussion, so I know nobody's going to see this, but here goes.

The hardest thing I've ever done photographically is to try to shoot in color where color is essential to the shot. Cartier-Bresson famously defined his "decisive moment" as that point where the eye, the brain, and the heart converge, thus describing photography as a kind of algebra. If black & white photography is algebra, then, color photography of the type I describe must be advanced calculus. Photographs where the eye, brain, and heart converge, and where color plays some truly essential role in the image, are almost impossible to find or create. That, at least, is my experience.

Not long after I picked up photography again after many years layoff, I went on a multi-country tour of south and southeast Asia. When I arrived at my final destination, India, where I planned on spending most of my time, I vowed to shoot mostly in color, figuring that colorful country would be the perfect place for it. I saw lots of shots that would have been great in black & white, but I refused to put black & white film in my camera, and refused to take a shot if color was only incidental to it. Needless to say, this resulted very few shots, in a place rife with shot possibilities. Eventually, after cracking my skull in the effort for some period of time, I finally relented and switched to black & white. Then I relented further and decided to treat color as an incidental element, rather than an essential one. It was either that, or come back with no pictures.

Nowadays, of course, the hero image is all but dead, and color is almost entirely incidental, except where it's treated as an ornamental element, such as on Instagram. In a way I'm glad about this, because insisting that color play an essential role in the image just sets the bar too high, at least for me. Full credit to anyone who can shoot that way.