Topic: Hookstrapped's & Indofunk's (& Alex's) rooftop adventure!

[Indofunk]

Peter's & my mutual friend Alex, also a film enthusiast, was in town so we went for a little gallery-hopping excursion in SoHo. After the second gallery, which was on the top floor, Peter insisted on taking the stairs down, for the very silly reason that we almost got trapped in the elevator on the way up    In the stairwell, as I was bemoaning the lack of adventure on the way down, I looked up and saw a door to the roof. My sense of adventure bubbled out and I ran up the stairs and pushed open the door (with instructions to Peter and Alex to run if they heard an alarm). No alarm, and a great view awaited us! Here are my pictures, maybe Peter can post his when he's ready.

FIRST, a question to all the Filmwasters. I always have trouble coming up with a presentation order when there's mixed color and B&W photos in the set. Do I separate the color and B&W so that there's less eye/brain transitioning between the two? Or do I go with an order that makes sense with the photos, regardless of color vs B&W? I did the latter here, maybe I'll repost with the two separated so you can compare. But please do give me feedback on that subject, thanks!!

Now, without further ado, here are the photos. B&W in an XA on Tri-X @800 in HC110; color in a 1920's Brownie Autographic on expired Fuji T64 at somewhere around EI50 (who am I kidding, it was just set on bulb and open-close the shutter at a random speed ), cross-processed in C41.

[Indofunk]

And now, the same series with color first and B&W second.

























Actually, I'm kind of liking this presentation better...

[cs1]

What a wonderful urban series! I like the "retro" look of the expired Fuji film. I find these "by chance" encounters with good locations very gratifying.

P. S.: XA = Olympus XA?

[Bryan]

Great series Satish, like cs1 said it reminds me of old photos of New York. 

[ManuelL]

Great set! Especially like the color shots! I'm no good with hights and wouldn't be able to lean over that railing, so it's nice you are doing that for me. 

[Indofunk]

Thanks people! Any comments on photo order (integrated vs separated)?

cs1, yes, that would be an Olympus XA

[MiguelCampano]

Looks fun! Now that I have a family member living in NY, in Astoria, this could be something to look forward to... Besides my NY Mets 

[02Pilot]

As far as the order, what are you trying to do? Is your intent to show a sort of mini-portfolio of a specific outing, or to tell a story of the event? If the former, it's all about structuring the thing in a logical, consistent way throughout, connecting photos by subject or theme or whatever. If the latter, then the order sort of suggests itself by virtue of chronology (with some room for fudging the facts if they get in the way). I don't think the color/B&W is really part of the issue, once you've made the decision to use both.

[Indofunk]

As far as the order, what are you trying to do? Is your intent to show a sort of mini-portfolio of a specific outing, or to tell a story of the event? If the former, it's all about structuring the thing in a logical, consistent way throughout, connecting photos by subject or theme or whatever. If the latter, then the order sort of suggests itself by virtue of chronology (with some room for fudging the facts if they get in the way). I don't think the color/B&W is really part of the issue, once you've made the decision to use both.

I took the latter approach (telling a story), but my main takeaway is that you don't feel the color/B&W is an issue at all I'm just overthinking it

Looks fun! Now that I have a family member living in NY, in Astoria, this could be something to look forward to... Besides my NY Mets 

I live in Astoria!

[imagesfrugales]

I'm focussing on bw and 35mm film recently, lost most of my interest in color, but here I have to admit that the color pics are pleasing me much more than the bw. The latter I would have edited very differently. Anyway, since I like the color pics so much more, I would prefer them being displayed seperately. But I would prefer that either way. I'm not much interested in documentation, and even there I find a mix of color and bw problematic. When I browse my own flickr stream and come to a wild mix of color and bw I always find it awful.

[MiguelCampano]

As far as the order, what are you trying to do? Is your intent to show a sort of mini-portfolio of a specific outing, or to tell a story of the event? If the former, it's all about structuring the thing in a logical, consistent way throughout, connecting photos by subject or theme or whatever. If the latter, then the order sort of suggests itself by virtue of chronology (with some room for fudging the facts if they get in the way). I don't think the color/B&W is really part of the issue, once you've made the decision to use both.

I took the latter approach (telling a story), but my main takeaway is that you don't feel the color/B&W is an issue at all I'm just overthinking it

Looks fun! Now that I have a family member living in NY, in Astoria, this could be something to look forward to... Besides my NY Mets 

I live in Astoria!

Some beers & pictures are waiting to happen then!

[02Pilot]

As far as the order, what are you trying to do? Is your intent to show a sort of mini-portfolio of a specific outing, or to tell a story of the event? If the former, it's all about structuring the thing in a logical, consistent way throughout, connecting photos by subject or theme or whatever. If the latter, then the order sort of suggests itself by virtue of chronology (with some room for fudging the facts if they get in the way). I don't think the color/B&W is really part of the issue, once you've made the decision to use both.

I took the latter approach (telling a story), but my main takeaway is that you don't feel the color/B&W is an issue at all I'm just overthinking it

Basically, yes, you're overthinking it. For me the point of decision is before I head out, selecting what film(s) I'm going to shoot. If I shot both color and B&W, then that's what I'm going to be showing at the end.

Next time we're planning to get together, remind me to bring the book of photos I put together from France last summer - it's a good example of how I combine color and B&W.

[Indofunk]

Next time we're planning to get together, remind me to bring the book of photos I put together from France last summer - it's a good example of how I combine color and B&W.

I would love to see this 

[Indofunk]

Some beers & pictures are waiting to happen then!

If you do that deal with Stuart, then you can pick up the camera from me at the Bohemian beer garden!! 

[Indofunk]

I'm focussing on bw and 35mm film recently, lost most of my interest in color, but here I have to admit that the color pics are pleasing me much more than the bw. The latter I would have edited very differently. Anyway, since I like the color pics so much more, I would prefer them being displayed seperately. But I would prefer that either way. I'm not much interested in documentation, and even there I find a mix of color and bw problematic. When I browse my own flickr stream and come to a wild mix of color and bw I always find it awful.

Thank you for your comments. I think I'm with you in that when I look upon my Flickr feed and see a mix of color and B&W, it makes my eyes vomit  But then again, I post to Flickr once every other week or something, so that is the antithesis of me trying to tell a story or trying to present something coherent. I'm still trying to find the balance of color vs B&W, and this thread is definitely helping I think my takeaway is something like, it depends on the context

[cs1]

I think that this is all a matter of taste and there's obviously no wrong or right (I'm pretty sure that we agree on this anyhow). I tend to look at the different ways of arranging the pictures this way: the two series of different kinds of photos are like two people telling about the same event. It makes quite a difference if you listen to the one person's account first and then to the other person's account or if the narratives of the two persons are cut together in a way so that they enhance each other, or better say, in a way that they augment each other's accounts. The latter in my eyes is the documentary approach which tries to present the most complete account possible with the two augmenting narratives. But if you instead try to present the differences of perception of the same event, then arranging them in a "one after the other" fashion is better because it will stress the contrast between the two (or even more) individual perceptions. So the question I would ask myself if I were you is: what am I trying to achieve with my presentation, contrast or augmentation? But that's just my 2 € cents, not thinking too much also doesn't hurt, I like both your presentations and I'm thankful for them because they made me think about contrast and augmentation.

[Indofunk]

I think that this is all a matter of taste and there's obviously no wrong or right (I'm pretty sure that we agree on this anyhow). I tend to look at the different ways of arranging the pictures this way: the two series of different kinds of photos are like two people telling about the same event. It makes quite a difference if you listen to the one person's account first and then to the other person's account or if the narratives of the two persons are cut together in a way so that they enhance each other, or better say, in a way that they augment each other's accounts. The latter in my eyes is the documentary approach which tries to present the most complete account possible with the two augmenting narratives. But if you instead try to present the differences of perception of the same event, then arranging them in a "one after the other" fashion is better because it will stress the contrast between the two (or even more) individual perceptions. So the question I would ask myself if I were you is: what am I trying to achieve with my presentation, contrast or augmentation? But that's just my 2 € cents, not thinking too much also doesn't hurt, I like both your presentations and I'm thankful for them because they made me think about contrast and augmentation.

Wow, that's a GREAT analogy! I'm going to have to mull that over a bit ...

[MacArron]

Satish: a good photographic review of the story told at the beginning of the post. I prefer the photos mixed as first set. I am more chronological minded, I mean I like order, because disorder causes my brain to mess as well (maybe sympathy??) and stresses me. Generally speaking; not in this case, of course 

Nevertheless, this is my personal preference. Others are also good (supposedly  )

Good work.

[jharr]

I guess my brain isn't as highly developed. I don't really even notice the 'transition' from color to b/w and back in the first set. So maybe I am more 'story-minded' and just let my perception flow through the set. My Flickr stream is a jumble of color, b/w and x-pro all in different formats and aspect ratios. It is indeed my right brain vomiting on my left and then flipping it the bird for good measure. That is in addition to a complete lack of any sort of theme or consistent 'look' to my photos. So maybe I'm the wrong person to ask.   

By the way, that first shot of the couple walking into the sunset, about to meet their doom in a NY cross walk is just magic.

[Indofunk]

By the way, that first shot of the couple walking into the sunset, about to meet their doom in a NY cross walk is just magic.

That's Peter and Alex!!

[Adam Doe]

Yet another set of your photos that makes me homesick (that's a compliment  ).