P3D Why B&W (was Re: P3D PanX &Tech Pan)

[Brian Reynolds <reynolds@xxxxxxxxx>]

John Toeppen wrote:
> This kind of processing effort may be worthwhile for making holograms or
> carbon transfers but why give up color in your slides?
> Velvia is just too good.  If quality results are your goal use slow
> color film.  Pardon me for rolling in my own concept of "purist"
> stereo.  Please prove me wrong and post your examples. 
> Some Kodak and Ilford slide films have pastel colors that are nice in
> winter if you want to mute your colors and still use commercial
> processes.
> I could see where contact printing large negatives could be very nice in
> B&W. Certainly, some of the old stereo cards are quite impressive
> contact prints.  A Brewster style viewer could be used to view twin 8 x
> 10s"
> 

There are many reasons to want B&W images.

In images where form and texture are the central focus of the
composition color can be a distraction.

B&W film (especially Tech Pan) is higher resolution than color.

By using colored filters and taking three separate exposures you can
adjust the color balance to whatever you want.

Several amateur astrophotographers have produced incredible high
resolution color images by using filters with Tech Pan.  This
technique can also be used for studio still lifes.

B&W is just another way of abstracting the world.  People tend to
forget that color film is also an abstraction.  Color film does not
present a perfect color reproduction of the world.  The most popular
color films (like Velvia) tend to be those that are the least
accurate.

-- 
Brian Reynolds                  | "Dee Dee!  Don't touch that button!"
reynolds@xxxxxxxxx              | "Oooh!"
http://www.panix.com/~reynolds  |    -- Dexter and Dee Dee
NAR# 54438                      |       "Dexter's Laboratory"