The Old Dog Asks: Are Images Scarier in Black and White?
During the process of interacting with fellow Steemers during my latest "Spooky Tree" contest I came to a realization. To me, images in black and white are scarier! Am I alone in my thinking?
Perhaps my impression comes from the pre-conditioning of my youth. The fact is that the first scary movies that I was ever exposed were all in black and white.
What Is Your Opinion?
Shown here below are some of the Scary Tree images that were submitted to me for the contest. I've taken the liberty of editing some of them from colored images into monochrome. Please give me your opinion as to which one is scarier.
Example One From @manorvillemike
To me the image on the right is much scarier but what do you think?
Example Two From @maria444
Does the creepiness level get turned up a notch on the image to the right?
Example Three From @zoricatech
In both photos the tree looks like a creeping alien creature but to me the one on the right is shake worthy!
Example Four From @kus-knee
This is the photo that I took to kick off the contest. To me the scary meter turns up a notch on the right!
This Short Film Which Discusses The Topic
Winners Will Be Announced Soon
This contest has been a blast and I'll be announcing the winners in the next few days. Please continue to support the contest community on Steemit as it's a great community builder!
Thanks for following me on my travels and I look forward to sharing my adventures with you.
Until next time,
@kus-knee (The Old Dog)
Hello sir @kus-knee.
If imagined, the first photo from @manorvillemike more sinister and scarier. Why ? In my analysis, the second photo is scary, but from the background, we known the picture is in a public place. The second photo is also scary but the photo looks far from the crowd and in a steep area. But the first photo was scary because when it became a monochrome the photo changed and said this was where the body was found, this is where the body was dumped into the river. Yes, the background of the photo speaks. I saw the first photo same like an example of your picture. The background of an old house behind the big tree. If there were no house, maybe people only knew that it was a big tree in the forest, but when there was an old house, it seemed that there was a life that had died before there.
I am very sorry if my thought is wrong. All picture so unique and interesting. :)
Very interesting analysis. Well done!
Thank you so much sir @kus-knee, I apologize to the photo owners here. I don't want to support one person only and drop the other. Honestly, I only see because I like to talk about the meaning of photos and photos to me have a thaousand of meanings. I also have one photo for this challange, but I am late knowing. So congratulations for the winner chosen next.
In my opinion....
Black and white photograph more scary by removing/not showing colour, changing our view angle of sight from wide into narrow, forces the photographer and the viewer to concentrate on the subject, on the light, and on contrast also dark color increase the feeling anxiety, depression, sadness, isolation or anything melancholic.
it's scary because black and white photograph showing more our thought being curiousity to unknown object in dim/dark places, not in bad thing because it's within our DNA, our survival instict since humanity in beginning of time from struggle for staying alive it night from predator into discovering the unknown of space and beyond.
human always terifying against the unknown in the dark and yet still have a feeling to try to find out as its insecurity of being not being safe in which still lurking inside until it soon be resolved.. it's the curiousity, trill and mystery that audience love while watching horror film , it is the color that showing negative space in ying and yang in taoism... it is like adam and eve's story when they feel curiosity by eating forbidden fruit in the heaven just want to find out how to know how is good and how is evil or how to be a god itself, in the end, adam and eve's also snake get banished from heaven by God because snake know how to tricked human curiousity.
in short.. black and white photograph is authentic, showing the audience sense to explore your photograph deeply, adding mystery into your photograph and touching our deepest curiousity within ourselves, which is great to convey our emotion in photograhy.
Very good explanation!
Yes of course! Is not that the whole idea of the film noir look of spooky mystery!
Now this is pretty scary LOL! Gotta love monochrome! That's why I started #monochromeMonday so many moons ago!!!
Absolutely! That is why my collection of scary architectural photos from around the world was all in black and white :) I think bright colors are generally perceived as cheerful and jolly - the opposite of scary and bleak that are usually represented by b&w.
Yes, No need to modify your photos!
@kus-knee,
Black & White photo challenge was the place that leads me in to Untalented Photography (thanks to @onceuponatime)! So I prefer B&W as the best!
Cheers~
Me too!
@ kus-knee hello dear friend.
I share your opinion the images in black and white are mastenebrosoas.
This image was forgotten, notice the difference
I wish you a great day
Great example!
Hi.. you are not alone.. they are all really scary in black and white
Good to know! I'll try not to look at them too much otherwise I might not sleep well! :)
I see.. :)
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Definitely the black and white are scarier because all monsters come out at night! Everybody knows that! 😃When the grass is green and the sun is shining we can laugh about scary things!
That's funny. I just posted a blog where I took two photos taken through barbed wire at Tuol Sleng prison in Cambodia and commented on the difference. https://busy.org/@joshman/thebloodyfootstepsofthekhmerrouge10photos-blbx2xwxdg
Interesting!
I think, except nr 2 all look creepier in black and white.
The second I found way more creepy in color. No idea why thoug
I think that you’re right!