AN ANALYSIS OF THE SHIFT FROM BLACK & WHITE TO COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY IN HIGHER EDUCATION INTRODUCTORY PHOTOGRAPHY COURSES

Chase Masters

A Thesis

Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of The requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF EDUCATION

December 2008

Committee:

Terry Herman, Advisor

Gary Benjamin

Charles Spontelli

Jeff Sharp ii

© 2008

Chase M. Masters

All Rights Reserved iii

ABSTRACT

Dr. Terry Herman, Advisor

While some institutions of higher education teach their introductory photography courses

in the traditional black and white format, many are switching to color. The focus of this study was to explore the reasoning behind the decision of institutions of higher education to either continue teaching the introductory photography course in black and white or make the switch to color.

Higher education level introductory photography educators were chosen as participants for the study and responded to a survey created by the researcher. The survey included questions

regarding their opinions between the two color formats in the introductory classroom, what

format they currently instruct with, why they use that format, and who made that decision.

Results from the survey showed that the higher education level introductory photography

educators preferred to teach using black and white photography to color. They also preferred the

digital format to film. Interestingly enough, they survey showed that the educators associated

black and white photography with film cameras and associated color photography with digital

cameras. These results seemed to contradict with the previous results, making for an intriguing

conclusion. iv

This is dedicated to my amazing family for all of their love, guidance, and support. v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I must first thank Terry Herman. She went completely above and beyond her responsibilities as my advisor. Besides being an incredible teacher, advisor, and friend, she was always happy to take some time out of her busy day to see how everything was coming along. I thank her for giving me deadlines to stick to and for pushing me when I began to procrastinate, which I am sometimes known to do! I would also like to thank the rest of my committee: Gary

Benjamin, Charles Spontelli, and Jeff Sharp. Their conversations, ideas, and direction helped me mold an idea into something great. I appreciate their understanding and accommodations when I had to defend my proposal on Vicodin, three days after having my appendix removed. Thanks!!

Thank you to Donna Trautman for the advice, encouragement, and kind words. She helped me come up with the original idea for my thesis during my first semester in graduate school. The annotated bibliography really ended up pulling through! I have got to thank Kim

Strickland for helping me through graduate school. She made sure I had the many forms filled out correctly, helped me with my schedule, always wanted to know how I was doing, and provided an excellent backyard for volleyball!

A thanks goes out to all of the close friends I have made at BGSU. I must specifically thank Todd Pavlack for pushing me to join the C&TE program and Andrew MacMillan-Ladd for pushing me in the right direction since elementary school. Another thanks goes to all of the other teaching assistants, co-workers, and teachers I have worked with throughout the years. I learned so much from each and every one of them.

Lastly, I need to give my biggest thanks to my entire family, especially my mom, dad,

Clara, and John. They provided an enormous amount of encouragement and support. There is no way I could have pulled this off without their help. Thank you. vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1: Introduction ...... 1

Context of the Problem ...... 1

Statement of the Problem ...... 1

Significance of the Study ...... 2

Objectives of the Study ...... 3

Limitations ...... 3

Definition of Terms ...... 3

Chapter 2: Review of Literature ...... 5

Black & White Photography ...... 5

Color Photography ...... 7

Photography Education ...... 9

Chapter 3: Methodology ...... 10

Restatement of the Problem ...... 10

Restatement of the Objectives ...... 10

Research Design ...... 11

Sampling Design & Procedures ...... 12

Data Collection Instrument ...... 12

Timeline & Budget ...... 12

Chapter 4: Findings ...... 14

Response Rates ...... 14

Results ...... 15

Teaching Method ...... 15 vii

Format ...... 15

Background Information ...... 17

Preference ...... 19

Advantages of Black & White Photography ...... 19

Challenges of Black & White Photography ...... 20

Advantages of Color Photography ...... 20

Challenges of Color Photography ...... 20

Switching Color Formats ...... 21

Reactions ...... 22

Importance ...... 23

Summary ...... 24

Summary of Black & White Photography ...... 24

Summary of Color Photography ...... 25

Chapter 5: Summary, Conclusions, & Recommendations...... 26

Objectives ...... 26

Objective One ...... 26

Objective Two ...... 27

Objective Three ...... 27

Objective Four ...... 28

Objective Five ...... 29

Conclusions & Recommendations ...... 29

Summary ...... 30

References ...... 31 viii

Appendix A: Survey Results ...... 33

Appendix B: Categorized Results ...... 42 1

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Context of the Problem

In years past, the Bowling Green State University College of Technology has taught the

VCT 282 Course, Photography I, as a black and white film class. The rationale for this choice

was because film was the standard format for taking photographs (photos) and because black and

white photography is an easy way to show and teach different techniques. In more recent years, students would take their photographs to get them developed at a local photography lab and

would either get digital versions saved onto a disk or scan the film in the Digital Imaging

computer laboratory located in the College of Technology. This method provided a way the

students could use software to edit the photos and turn them in digitally.

The College of Technology currently teaches their introductory photography course in

color using digital cameras. Due to the rapid growth of technology and because digital cameras are now becoming more popular than ever, the switch in process is understandable (PRWeb,

2007). The change in technology has led the faculty to the decision of making VCT 282 a color

photography course.

Statement of the Problem

While some institutions of higher education teach their introductory photography courses

in the traditional black and white format, many are switching to color. The focus of this study was to explore the reasoning behind the decision of institutions of higher education to either continue teaching the introductory photography course in black and white or make the switch to color. 2

Significance of the Study

New and emerging technologies are driving curriculum changes across many campuses.

The new technologies are also becoming more affordable, which is changing the standards people are used to.

Figure 1. Estimate of digital camera availability.

Figure 1 shows an estimate of how many digital cameras have been shipped worldwide.

The demand is growing swiftly. Availability has doubled from 2003 to today (PRWeb, 2007).

With institutions of higher education trying to keep abreast of the latest trends and standards, choosing digital cameras seems like a natural choice.

Once these digital cameras are in the hands of photography students, they must learn how to use them properly. The same manual controls found on manual film cameras are provided on digital single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras. The hard part is getting the students to see their 3 subjects in a way that works for photography. Techniques such as contrast, shadows, texture, framing, shape, and lighting are all attributes that are typically used. Is there a difference in the students’ work if they are taught these techniques using color versus black and white?

Objectives of the Study

Through this study, the following objectives were explored:

1. The exploration of the reasoning behind the decision of institutions of higher education to

make the switch from teaching black and white photography to color in their introductory

photography courses

2. To identify educator preferences related to teaching black and white photography

3. To identify educator preferences related to teaching color photography

4. Educator rationale for these choices

5. To survey the format other institutions of higher education are choosing to teach

introductory photography classes

Limitations

The following limitations were inherent in the study:

1. Institutions of higher education within Ohio were included in the study so follow-up

visits can be made.

2. All responses were opinions of the educators.

Definition of Terms

All definitions were cited from Dictionary.com, 2007-2008 unless otherwise noted.

Blog - An online diary; a personal chronological log of thoughts published on a Web page; also

called Weblog, Web log

Contrast - The relative difference between light and dark areas of a print or negative 4

Framing - To line up visually in a viewfinder or sight

Raw image format - contains minimally processed data from the image sensor of a digital camera

or image scanner. Raw files are so named because they are not yet processed and ready to

be used with a bitmap graphics editor or printed (Raw image format, 2008).

Shadow - The dark part of a picture, esp. as representing the absence of illumination

SLR (Single-Lens Reflex) - Of or designating a form of reflex camera in which the reflecting

mirror retracts when the shutter is released

Texture - The characteristic physical structure given to a material, an object, etc., by the size,

shape, arrangement, and proportions of its parts 5

CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE

In order to get useful information, the researcher must look past the opinions and find the statistics behind them to make the comparisons. Overall, many of the sources suggested black and white photography should still be taught due to its simplification of the objects being photographed.

While digital photography has changed the format and way photographers shoot, techniques stay the same. The composition of the photograph does not change simply because it is being saved to a different format. A photographer typically sees the same thing when looking into a digital camera’s lens as when looking into a film camera lens. While teaching photography, using black and white examples to show why the photographer used the techniques he or she did while shooting the photograph can be very useful to the students. They can, in turn, use these techniques when shooting their own black and white photographs.

Black & White Photography

If the students are using digital cameras, black and white photography can still be taught.

Brad Lenahan (2007) put together a list of five different black and white photography tips that include using the digital format. An important and useful tip he included in the article was that if the photographer is using a digital camera for black and white photos, to shoot in a raw format.

The raw format is one that “contains minimally processed data from the image sensor of a digital camera” (Raw image format, 2008). This especially helps with the black and white style because if they set the camera to black and white while shooting in raw, they can get instant black and white feedback on the LCD display. Not only can the photographer use this technique to their advantage, but also when putting the images on a computer, the color data is saved. If the 6 photographer decides to go back to color or tweak a few settings before saving the photograph in the final black and white format, it is possible.

The use of black and white photography has been declining in the past few years because of the cost effectiveness of digital color photography. Ironically, digital photography is now the catalyst in its new popularity (Macaskill, 2008). Newer versions of photo manipulation software are adding more black and white photography options. The latest version of Adobe Photoshop

CS3 has a new feature that incorporates black and white photography. This feature is a black and white tool that converts the color photos into black and white with many variations and options, rather than using the traditional “convert to grayscale” option. It can be used after opening a jpeg or converting a RAW image to an editable format. Newer technology is giving the photographers more control over their final photographs (Futura Studios, 2007).

The digital revolution has had a part in the decision process for choosing to teach beginning photography classes through the use of black and white photography versus color.

According to J. E. Sharp’s (2004) Masters thesis, “academic photographic programs must adapt to educate students on the new tools to produce the fundamental techniques with their work.” In other words, the instructors must try to stay ahead of the game and teach what is relevant to the time period. This has become harder to do recently due to the fast paced changes in technology

(Sharp, 2004).

With the introduction and adaptation of digital cameras, some institutions of higher education have decided to change black and white courses and teach using color, since that is the default format that digital cameras use. In order to further research this topic, information about the difference between color and black and white photography is needed. An online blog, by

David Kaspar (2004), has some examples of black and white photos versus digital color photos. 7

According to Kaspar, “The black and white photo is moody and the focus is on the subject, shadows, and composition.” When looking at the color photo, he states, “The colour photo more impresses with its range of colours and nuances.” Comments have been posted regarding his examples and mention how the black and white version looks older while the color version looks newer. To summarize, this source believes that both are important, it just depends on the feel the photographer is going for (Kaspar, 2004).

The Photocritic website includes good information regarding black and white photography. Kamps (2007) wrote a strong statement indicating that “any photography has four elements: shape, texture, lighting, and colour.” This is especially true with black and white photography because the photographic elements stand out so much (Kamps, 2007). A few examples of these are the concepts of highlight and shadow detail, image contrast, film and exposure latitude, and tonal range. The New York Institute (2000) even goes as far as saying that good photo educators have never abandoned teaching beginners how to work with black and white film and images.

Other reasons to use and teach black and white photography exist. Black and white photography techniques have versatility because they adapt well to all lighting situations, unlike color photography, which works best in bright light. There are no distractions because it is stripped down and allows the photographer to easily show the true subject. The photographer can also bring out the subtlety of tones by showing the shades in between black and white without difficulty. There is also a lot more variety with black and white because it comes across as more artistic (Digital Photography School, 2007).

Color Photography

Besides the simplicity of shooting digital color photographs, why would facilitators 8 decide to teach introductory photography classes in color rather than the traditional black and white? While each person is subject to their own opinion, there are definitely some strong points to be made when deciding to teach color classes. It seems that the traditional rules of photography do not apply as much when shooting black and white photos (Kamps, 2007). A few of these rules include the rule of thirds, using depth of field, framing the subjects, shooting in the early morning or late evening to achieve the best color temperature, and to use a tripod when shooting shutter speeds slower than 1/80 second (jgarcía, 2006). A photographer can typically shoot good black and white photos on days that it would be difficult to shoot good color photos due to the lighting. While dark and overcast days are not good for color photography, they are ideal for black and white (Lenahan, 2007).

Using color versus black and white photography can also depend on the mood the photographer is trying to convey. Photographer, Darjan Panic (2007), has a web log that compares black and white and color photography. He mentions that color photography is great to use when it comes to passionate emotions, such as enthusiasm and joy. Black and white would be more effective when looking for dark emotions like loss and depression. Another point he makes, is that “a black and white film still lets you capture detail when you underexpose at two stops.” This means that black and white film “accepts your errors” a little more than color will, thus giving the photographer more detail to work with if he/she made an error when shooting.

Color photos can have just as much contrast and show just as much detail as black and white photos, it may just be a little trickier. Bryan Peterson’s book entitled “Learning to See

Creatively” has many beautiful color photos that do an excellent job of pointing out the different parts to an image. An entire chapter is devoted to lines, shapes, form, texture, patterns, and even 9 color. Silhouettes are an excellent way to get contrast and shape out of a color photo. When shooting landscape, shapes in the foreground as well as the background are important. The author also has six pages full of examples he has taken of textures. This goes to prove that it is very possible to teach all of the techniques with color photos; it just may be more difficult

(Peterson, 2003).

Photography Education

Color introductory photography courses are currently being taught at institutions of higher education. Black and white introductory photography courses are being taught as well.

To some, it is a matter of opinion as to which is “better” for the students since it is possible to teach the techniques using either type of photography. With the sources mentioned, overall they seem to prefer black and white photography for beginners based on the fact that the techniques are easier to highlight. A negative though is that the rules being taught are not followed as often when shooting in black and white. In order to get more of an idea as to which teaching technique is used more often and is better for the student, more research needs to be done at institutions of higher education. More data needs to be collected and analyzed in order to do so.

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CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

The researcher will present the methodology procedures planned to explore the topic of black and white versus color photography education in a basic photography course in this section of the proposal. The problem and objectives will be reiterated, the design will be covered, the data collection instrument will identified, the procedures will be described, and the topic of

HSRB will be addressed as well.

Restatement of the Problem

While some institutions of higher education teach their introductory photography courses in the traditional black and white format, many are switching to color. The focus of this study is to explore the reasoning behind the decision of institutions of higher education to either continue teaching the introductory photography course in black and white or make the switch to color.

Restatement of the Objectives

Through this study, the following objectives were explored:

1. The exploration of the reasoning behind the decision of institutions of higher education to

make the switch from teaching black and white photography to color in their introductory

photography courses

2. To identify educator preferences related to teaching black and white photography

3. To identify educator preferences related to teaching color photography

4. Educator rationale for these choices

5. To survey the format other institutions of higher education are choosing to teach

introductory photography classes

11

Research Design

The study is designed to address the problem statement and the five primary objectives identified above. The following steps summarize the items needed to accomplish the five primary objectives of the study:

1. Develop a list of advantages black and white photography has over color in the

educational sense. While many of the advantages may be faculty opinion, they will come

from photographers/educators with experience in the field. This makes it relevant to the

study and addresses objective two.

2. Develop a list of advantages color photography has over black and white in the

educational sense. While many of the advantages may be faculty opinion, they will come

from photographers/educators with experience in the field. This makes it relevant to the

study and addresses objective three.

3. The results of the survey will be analyzed and summarized to identify the different views,

ideas, data, and facts on choice of teaching the introductory photography course in black

and white or color. This step addresses objectives one, four, and five.

4. Create a survey to be taken by photography instructors at institutions of higher education

in the area to explore their reasoning behind the switch. In order for the data to remain

unbiased, the following criteria will be considered:

a. The use of digital cameras and film cameras within the classroom will be included

in the study.

b. All types and sizes of institutions of higher education with a photography

curriculum will be included in this study. 12

c. The individuals taking the survey must have professional knowledge in the

photography field.

Sampling Design & Procedures

The sample contained in the study included educators at institutions of higher education that teach introductory photography. These individuals participating within the photography programs have the appropriate knowledge and credentials to be included in the study.

The institutions of higher education chosen were located within Ohio and the surrounding area. The only criteria for the selection of schools are that they offer photography at an introductory level.

Data Collection Instrument

The primary data collection instrument for this study was a survey sent out to institutions of higher education photography educators that teach at the introductory level. The subjects were randomly chosen and all HSRB procedures were followed. The data collected from the surveys followed the five objectives of the study.

Both open-ended and closed-ended questions were included within the survey in order to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Questions related to both black and white photography as well as color photography were included. The open-ended questions provided an opportunity for opinion from the individuals and were summarized within categories created through trend analysis when the survey data was analyzed.

Timeline & Budget

All of the work included within this thesis took approximately three to four months to be completed. Time for the survey to be created and emailed/mailed out to the subjects was required. After being received, a deadline for participants to finish and send back the survey was 13 established. After the surveys were received, the data was analyzed statistically and used trend analysis. The data was analyzed considering other research studied.

The budget for the study was approximately $150.00 for the use of SurveyMonkey to create the online survey, fuel used to travel to other institutions of higher education in the area to gather data during follow-up interviews, books needed for research purposes, and any other costs the researcher incurred. The researcher covered personal expenses. These expenses included, but were not limited to: meals purchased while traveling for possible follow-up interviews and textbooks used as sources for the research.

14

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS

The researcher presents the findings of the data from the study in this chapter. The

results are organized in the order of which the questions were asked in the survey. Each question

has been categorized into a specific section that follows the research objectives previously stated.

Response Rates

A matrix was created, listing institutions of higher education in the surrounding area that had photography programs. The location was chosen in the event of follow-up interviews taking place. From those 14 institutions, five were chosen to be included in the study. These five schools had the proper, consistent data needed for the research. The survey was then sent to five higher education level educators who taught introductory photography classes at these institutions. Over a one-month period, all five instructors completed the survey and submitted it with approval for use in this study, as seen in Figure 4.1.

Figure 4.1. Survey consent. 15

Results

Teaching Method

The researcher collected information regarding whether the introductory photography

courses at the various institutions were taught in black and white or color. This corresponds to the format other institutions of higher education are choosing to teach introductory photography classes.

According to the institutions of higher education included in the survey, 60% are currently teaching introductory photography courses in black and white, with 40% teaching in color, as seen in Figure 4.2. Out of that 60%, 66% made a conscious decision to remain black and white and not change to color. Out of the 40% currently teaching in color, half of them recently made the switch from using black and white photography. Once making the switch to color, all institutions of higher education decided to stick with the change.

Figure 4.2. The results of whether the respondents teach in black & white or color.

Format

The next three questions in the survey collected information regarding whether the

introductory photography courses at the various institutions were shooting using film or digital 16 cameras. This also responds to the format other institutions of higher education are choosing to teach introductory photography classes.

According to the institutions of higher education included in the survey, 40% are allowing their students to use either digital or film cameras. Another 40% are teaching the introductory photography classes digitally. The remaining 20% are still using film. This can be better seen and understood in Figure 4.3. Please note that there were five participants, meaning that two answered both.

Figure 4.3. The results of what format the classrooms shoot in.

Out of the classes being taught digitally, half of them require the students to provide their

own cameras (Figure 4.4). Out of the classes being taught using film, 66% require the students

to provide their own cameras. 17

Figure 4.4. Digital equipment requirement.

Background Information

Questions nine and 10 focused on the instructors’ institutions and photography programs.

The first question in this category asked for the number of students enrolled at the institution.

This data ranged from 1,200 to 20,000 students due to the way the respondents answered the question (Figure 4.5). Four of them responded with the number of students enrolled in the entire institution while one responded with the number of students in the program. The average number of students enrolled in the entire institutions is 17,500, with the median being the same. 18

Figure 4.5. Number of enrolled students.

The next question in this category asked for the number of students enrolled in the photography program. This data ranged from 50 to 200 students (Figure 4.6). The average number of students enrolled in the photography programs is 84, with the median being 50.

Figure 4.6. Number of photography students. 19

Preference

The respondents’ personal preferences varied from person to person. Three of them

preferred teaching introductory photography using black and white while two preferred color.

The instructors who preferred black and white stated that with this method, the students “can

safely do processing and get good results”. They also thought that black and white photography

helped the students “get a better understanding of light and contrast”. According to the

respondents’ this would allow them to “learn the basics” in black and white, making color easier.

The two instructors who decided color was a better option cited technology as a deciding factor. They stated that digital cameras deliver color natively, making the photography what- you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG). One participant also believed that there are “fewer technical variables” with color photography. This makes color photography “easier to master”, in his opinion.

Advantages of Black & White Photography

Two basic categories of responses within this section were presented: the traditional darkroom setting and getting the students comfortable with film. One of the respondents mentioned that there is a “historical connection to process” and that the traditional darkroom

“creates [a] unique environment for artistic expression”. It was also stated that “Students understand picture tonality quicker than going straight to digital or to color darkroom. In the case of color darkroom, there are more variables to consider.”

Two of the instructors indicated that they believe students should become comfortable

with black and white film first. “Once they shoot digitally, I think it’s harder for them to go back

to film/ not being able to see the image on the spot. So it’s nice if they shoot [black and white]

film first,” indicated one of the participants. Another respondent reinforced that idea by saying 20 that “The contact sheet is a valuable learning tool. You can’t delete with [black and white] film.”

Challenges of Black & White Photography

Most of the challenges of black and white photography mentioned by the participants involved the use of film. “Currently many students no longer have cameras [and there is] less interest in the wet process by students,” commented one of the educators. Three of the respondents mentioned how darkroom supplies are expensive and difficult to work with. It is also getting harder to find “administrative and financial support for a “dying” medium.”

The idea that students are becoming used to the “immediate gratification of digital” was presented again. “Few students own 35mm cameras these days” and more of them already have digital cameras that they can use in the classroom.

Advantages of Color Photography

All of the educators that responded with advantages of color photography associated color photography with digital photography. Most of the negative aspects of black and white photography were the same aspects indicated as positives for color photography. Some of these reasons were “instant feedback, no darkroom delay or expense,” and the fact that many students already own digital cameras. One respondent also said that “We already have the computers for other classes, so the computers become the darkroom.”

Challenges of Color Photography

Three of the educators responded to this question in unique ways. The first indicated,

“The logical progression of learning proper contrast and tone first, then adding color variables later in their curriculum is bypassed. Students become confused between all the variables at their fingertips.” Another stated, “Students set the camera on auto and don’t learn about exposure as 21 effectively as they do in [black and white]. Students get used to instant/ cheap results with digital and may be less willing to work with film later.” The third educator’s views were about lab equipment saying that the challenges were “Digital cameras and computer lab space. Also getting students to edit their work carefully.”

Switching Color Formats

Three questions in the survey focused on switching color formats for introductory photography courses. Two educators stated that their institution had switched color formats within the past six years. The factors that went into that decision were equipment, complication of process, student interest, and tracking the trends in the industry. The equipment referred to is the use of digital cameras. “Digital cameras produce color pictures, so we went with the flow,” said one of the participants. The same educator mentioned that target industries of photojournalism and commercial photography have largely gone to color, so the decision was for his program to do the same.

The two educators whose schools had switched color formats also answered a question regarding who made the decision to change. One of them simply responded with “the digital books” while the other said, “It was a school [faculty] vote, with all faculty within the school having input.”

The last question regarding the color format switch inquired about the instructors’ opinions on how the change has affected the students’ ability to learn basic photography techniques. The first respondent felt, “it makes no difference.” The second educator had different views saying, “It has diminished their ability to learn basics in my opinion. When they worked in the darkroom, making good prints took time and they had to pay attention to basics.

With digital color, they tone for the screen, not for the print. Also, auto focus, auto exposure, 22 etc. have taken their toll. Even with seniors, it is apparent that most of their shooting leans heavily on auto features of cameras. Some of the seniors are STILL confused about the relationship of shutter speeds to apertures, etc.”

Reactions

In the survey, the researcher sought reactions to statements concerning photography techniques. The first was, “Photography techniques (contrast, texture, lighting, etc.) are easier to highlight when shooting in black and white.” One instructor believed this statement to be false, one believed it to be true, while three had mixed reactions. The respondents who had mixed reactions suggested that it is “true to some extent, but it is not an absolute.” One participant extended the view, “I have a mixed reaction. I agree that contrast is immediately visible in

[black and white], but texture for example, can be shown in color just as well. Lighting for

[black and white] is different than lighting for color, not better or worse. So my answer is that it would depend on the particular instance under discussion.”

The second statement was “Basic photography “rules” (rule of thirds, early morning/late evening shooting, using a tripod, etc.) do not need to be followed as often when shooting in black and white.” All five participants agreed that this statement was false. One educator stated,

“learning to use good light (changes a bit with color [versus black and white]) and composition are independent of whether one teaches color or [black and white].” Another reported, “Early morning light not only has a color aspect, but the strong directionality works very well for [black and white] too. Rule of thirds is about the placement of objects in the frame, and for me is independent on medium – color, [black and white], or oil painting. A tripod benefits both color and [black and white] – an unsharp picture is not desired with either format.” 23

Importance

The last question on the survey asked the participants to “rate the content items in order

of importance for teaching these subjects in introductory photography courses” and then listed seven items (Figure 4.7). Black and white photography and digital (shooting) techniques had the

highest average rating of 4.0 out of 5. Film (shooting) techniques and the use of photo

manipulation software came in second with the average rating of 3.4 out of 5. Tying in third

with an average rating of 2.8 out of 5 was how to digitize printed photos and how to develop in a

darkroom. Color photography came in last with an average rating of 2.2 out of 5.

Figure 4.7. Importance of listed items.

Two of the educators provided additional comments when answering this question. One

offered, “While I have ranked film [important] and using Photoshop as less important, they will

be NEEDED for a career in photography. I see [black and white] darkroom work as a great way 24 to teach the basics, then move into the digital/color world. However doing both requires significant resources of both student and school.” The other educator stated that it “depends on the program and where the intro class fits in. If this is the only photo class they take, I think color/ digital is more important and darkroom may be irrelevant. If the intro class is a prerequisite for other courses (such as an intro to digital art/ photo class), then color is very important.”

Summary

The researcher summarized the data results from the research survey in this chapter. This chapter was divided into different segment groups: Teaching Method, Format, Background

Information, Preference, Advantages of Black & White Photography, Challenges of Black &

White Photography, Advantages of Color Photography, Challenges of Color Photography,

Switching Color Formats, Reactions, and Importance. In summary, the participants believed that black and white photography was more important in introductory classrooms than color photography. Digital photography was also favored over film.

Summary of Black & White Photography

- Moody and focus is on the subject

- Can be shot using digital cameras

o Raw: color data is saved

- Adapts to all lighting situations

- No distractions

o Stripped down and shows subject

- Looks dated 25

Summary of Color Photography

- Traditional rules apply more

o Rule of thirds

o Depth of field

o Time of day to shoot

- Shows enthusiasm and joy

- Less forgiving: good for classroom

- Shows just as much contrast and detail

- Looks newer 26

CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, & RECOMMENDATIONS

The researcher summarizes the study results, makes conclusions, and addresses

recommendations for possible future research in this chapter.

Objectives

The study explored the following objectives:

1. The exploration of the reasoning behind the decision of institutions of higher education to

make the switch from teaching black and white photography to color in their introductory

photography courses.

2. To identify educator preferences related to teaching black and white photography

3. To identify educator preferences related to teaching color photography

4. Educator rationale for these choices

5. To survey the format other institutions of higher education are choosing to teach

introductory photography classes

Objective One

The results showed that advances in technology have had a major impact on the use of

color photography in the introductory classroom. Fewer students own 35mm cameras while more

of them are purchasing digital cameras. Professionals in the photography industry are also favoring the digital format. To follow the trends, introductory photography instructors are making the switch to digital.

Current faculty members are the ones making the decision whether or not to switch.

Typically, it comes down to a vote by the faculty members. The introduction of digital photography based textbooks has also made the decision for some schools. With books evolving with the technology, instructors must evolve as well. 27

Objective Two

The advantages of black and white photography went hand-in-hand with the traditional film darkroom. It allows a distinct setting for artistic expression. The students are also able to understand concepts such as picture tonality faster using the black and white format. Stripping away the color strips away some of the variables, simplifying the process for the introductory students.

The results also showed that students should become comfortable with black and white film prior to taking color photography classes. Shooting on film does not give the photographer the instant gratification that digital cameras do. Film cameras are also unable to delete the photos they have taken. Both of these factors put a higher focus on the manual settings of the camera. If they are not correct, the photos will not turn out after being processed.

Fewer students own black and white film cameras and there is less interest in the wet process nowadays. Processing photographs in a darkroom is difficult, expensive, and fewer people are doing it. There is not as much financial and administrative support for this medium either. Without the proper support, students will be unable to learn photography using the black and white film method.

Objective Three

The advantages of color photography went hand-in-hand with digital photography.

Students like that they have instant feedback on the photo they just shot. They are immediately able to see if their settings were correct. If the settings were wrong, adjustments can be made and the student can try a second attempt.

There are fewer costs when shooting with digital color cameras. No longer is there a need for a darkroom with chemicals and special paper. Instead, computers are used to edit and 28 output the photos. This saves on both time and money. These computers are used for other classes so it is not an additional expense.

Some institutions have limited computer lab space. For these schools, teaching introductory photography courses using digital color cameras can be challenging. It can also be hard for the instructors to get their students to edit the photos carefully. Adding color variables to photography can confuse the students. While black and white photography focuses on proper tone and contrast first, color photography includes that and more. Students also tend to rely on the automatic settings included on digital cameras. This hurts their ability to understand proper exposure settings.

Objective Four

The results showed that instructors prefer to teach introductory photography courses using black and white to color. While there are advantages and disadvantages to each, black and white got the better response. Looking at the importance of both methods (Figure 4.7), black and white photography got a rating of 4.0 out of 5. Color photography only had a rating of 2.2 out of

5.

Black and white photography was typically thought of as a film technique while color photography was associated with digital cameras. This is interesting because while black and white photography was rated as more important, digital photography was given a rating of 4.0 out of 5 and film photography was rated 3.4 our of 5. These two sets of results seem to contradict each other. Black and white photography is preferred to teach the basic methods of photography and shooting digitally is favored because of the industry standards. Upon further inspection, the apparent contradiction makes sense for those exact reasons. Educators must stay on top of the current trends, even if it means changing their preferred style of teaching. 29

Objective Five

The results of the survey showed that 60% of the respondents taught introductory photography courses in black and white while 40% taught them in color. Sixty-six percent of those teaching in black and white made a conscious decision to stick with that format. Two of the institutions of higher education allowed their students to shoot using either digital or film cameras. Another two institutions require their students to shoot using digital cameras. The remaining school was still shooting on film.

Conclusions & Recommendations

Some limitations to the survey that limited the results were noted. Only institutions of higher learning within Ohio and the surrounding areas were included in the study. Institutions in various parts of the country may teach introductory photography classes differently. Conducting a survey similar to this one in different demographics would bring useful, additional data.

The participants provided many good insights through their survey responses. One was the fact that some introductory courses are meant for photography majors while some have the non-majors in mind. For example, according to one of the participants, if the student is taking their only photography course, it may be better for them to shoot in color. If the student were taking a series of photography courses, it would be best for them to start with black and white and move onward.

At times, the survey focus seemed to be more on digital photography versus film photography. While this was not the intent, the participants associated color photography with the digital medium and black and white photography with the film medium. Due to these associations, the results of the study seemed to contradict each other. The participants preferred 30 teaching introductory photography courses in black and white to color but preferred digital cameras to film.

Question six (Figure 4.3) should have been set up differently. Instead of allowing the participants to choose multiple responses, it would have been better to include an extra option of

“Both”. This would have made the information easier to read and interpret.

Question nine had one inaccurate response. The participant responded with the number of students in their program rather than the number of students in the entire institution. While the question did use the term “institution”, using different wording may have prevented the mistake. Overall, an option that should be included in further research is a comments section to each question. This would allow the respondent to explain their response in the event of a confusing question.

One additional question that should be included is, “If money and the number of students were no object, would you choose to shoot in black and white?” This would prove the reasoning behind the apparent contradiction of preferring black and white photography and the digital format.

Summary

The information in this chapter summarized the survey results, made conclusions, and addressed recommendations for possible future research. It was interesting that while educators prefer to teach introductory photography courses in black and white, they prefer to use digital equipment. What makes this interesting is that they would often associate black and white photography with film and color photography with digital. Future research should include responses in two categories: photography majors and non-photography majors. It should also be conducted in a different region to determine if location has an effect on the results. 31

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APPENDIX A: SURVEY RESULTS

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APPENDIX B: CATEGORIZED RESULTS