Differences between B+W and Colour

Darkroom

In the black and white darkroom the red lights that are used provide enough light for people to see the room and the equipment, this makes printing easier and quicker. However in the colour darkroom the paper is more sensitive to light so the room is completely light tight, the black lights that can be used do not provide enough light to see but give a vague outline of the layout of the room (indicating the corridor between enlargers and the corner where the printing machine is.
Working in the colour darkroom is more difficult as the blackness is very unnerving and makes navigating the area quite difficult, though I am confident that with time and practice I will become more accustomed to it and the printing will then be done with ease.


Negatives

The black and white negatives are easier to imagine the print as when first viewed as only the tones get reversed. However I can not work out the negative as colours get reversed and it is harder to imagine the way the colours will look before doing a contact sheet.

(insert pic of colour neg compared to contact sheet)


Processing

I enjoy processing the black and white films because I know how to do it and although I struggle with lining the tray up into the deep tanks I have a routine set up with my friend. With the colour film the university does not have the facilities to develop colour film so we had to send our films to DigiLab in Newcastle for them to develop, this had the problem of being delayed until their processing days (Mondays and Wednesdays - you can get on the day developing on these days if the prints are handed to them before 11am)


Preconceptions

Many people associate black and white with the old film photographs, because of this they feel that a photograph being black and white makes it more artistic or "real" although some people think that the world was black and white and colour has only recently been introduced to life.


Personal Opinion

I feel that both black and white and colour can create beautiful prints if done right; yet I prefer the black and white as I am more comfortable with the processing and printing. I think there is a value in colour prints as the quality is greater than digital and the photograph looks a better quality, this means that people would probably be more willing to buy the work.