Golf in black & white - does it say anything?

[Jerry Kluger]

I was looking at the C & C website and they had some photos in black and white and it got me wondering:  if a hole looks good/interesting in black and white does it mean it is good architecture?   It just seems to me that if it needs color to really reflect its quality then perhaps it isn't really that good at all.  Thoughts?

[Scott Warren]

I've trialled some B&W photos of courses (and sepia...). To me, the flattening effect photography has on golf courses is multipled x100 in B&W.

It's interesting to look at pictures of courses shot that way, but I'm not sure I agree with you that a hole or feature that photographs well in B&W it is necessarily good architecture.

[Tom_Doak]

To me, that just says there is probably a lot of white (bunkers) in the photos.

[Jerry Kluger]

Do you really need color to see good architecture - to me, the answer is no. If anything, the light gives you the best appreciation of the subtle slopes, etc. and not the color.  If anyone has the computer know-how to take some photos of good architecture and post them in black and white I would appreciate it.  Cheers

[Kalen Braley]

Jerry,

I'm only a novice at these things, so I'm sure this could be done much better...but this is what I came up with.

[Jerry Kluger]

Thanks Kalen.  It certainly doesn't look like the image loses anything from an architecture point of view.  You still appreciate the features and if anything, the bunkers aren't as stark white looking and the fairway contours are more pronounced. 

[Bryan Izatt]

Here's another.  Perception is in the eye of the beholder.

[Kalen Braley]

Jerry,

One thing is for sure, if someone who were good at this were to photoshop in Dr. MacK or William Flynn or <insert ODG here> roaming around on one of those black and white photos...it sure would look fairly believable that those courses are "old-timing". 

[Kyle Henderson]

Often, if I happen to play a course on a murky day, I prefer the look of my photos after I take the color out. But if the light is good (near sunrise or set with at leat partial sun), I almost always prefer to see the color version.

[R.S._Barker]

I adore black and white photos for the lack of contrast that color brings. Sometimes the very lack of color allows me to focus on the layout or features a hole has and I appreciate it more.

[Jerry Kluger]

I would suggest that ANGC is perhaps the most "green" course that is great architecture and perhaps we would not recognize it as well in black and white but the architecture would still be great to see.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Tom Doak:

Which ever hole that is at Rock Creek Cattle Co., pictured above... really, really cool looking tee shot. Very nice.

[Kalen Braley]

Tom Doak:

Which ever hole that is at Rock Creek Cattle Co., pictured above... really, really cool looking tee shot. Very nice.

Jeff,

Thats the 2nd hole at RCCC.

Its a pretty neat tee shot to a wide fairway that plays semi-blind.  Its better to be on the left side of the fairway there as all the trouble on the approach lurks on the right.

[Kalen Braley]

A comparison of 13 at ANGC

Color??



Or B&W?

[Steve Salmen]

 How would a black and white photo look if you only added the color of the flag?

[Jerry Kluger]

Thanks again Kalen - surely we recognize the design features of the hole without the color - the color certainly looks good but it isn't necessary to have color in order to see the greatness of the architecture. Don't get me wrong, it certainly looks beautiful in color and our ability to see color adds a great deal to many experiences, including playing golf.

[Mike Hendren]

Old timers here will recall that the Friar's Head course profile was the first and only to debut in black and white.

[Lyne Morrison]

There are some great photos in the Friars Head profile that highlight the subtleties in the topo. A couple of my favourites…

Cheers - Lyne

[Lyne Morrison]

these are pretty special too..

[Carl Rogers]

I think that a lot of the appeal of the black and white has to do with the following:

- It is different and at some point we all get a bit tired of the same old same old ...

- The grain of the black and white brings out the various grass and sand textures than does color which at times look like magic marker

[Dan Herrmann]

How does colorblindness affect GCA?  (Most colorblindness doesn't affect every color and most people that are colorblind are male)

[Jim Nugent]

I don't like black and white photos of golf holes or courses.  I find it hard to see what is really going on.  They sometimes look more artistic.  Sort of an Ansel Adams appearance. 

[Sean_A]

I am not overly keen on b&w either because I lose the contrast of colours and textures which some archies go through a lot of trouble to create.  But the b&ws (not sure of the technology) of Rich Goodale's Dornoch book are outstanding and probably the best I have seen for showing off features.  This book is well worth buying for the pix alone, but then you also get Rich's added text.  It really is one of the great unsung golf books.

Ciao

[James Boon]

I dont mind b&w photos in general, and have often changed pictures I've taken to b&w for effect. However, if they are of golf courses the b&w photos do seem ti miss something? As Steve S hints at, the coloured flag is missing and that seems to instantly change what can be seen?

Interestingly, Ran's profile of Pacific Dunes uses b&w photos when they are taken in the winter.
http://golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/usa/pacific-dunes

Cheers,

James