Alzheimer's: Selecting the Mood

[Comanche]

Hi folks -

For some time now, I have been building a gallery of shots from the nursing home where my mother resides. In some cases, I use B&W because it helps set the mood - the attitude - for the disease. In other instances, I use color to convey a happier, kinder mood. Examples might be the aides feeding residents.

In this case, I could use some help. I shot this gentleman the other day, but don't know which is better - color or B&W.

Opinions, please.



or this - - -




Obviously, I'm open to any other ideas you may have.

[veritus]

My vote is BW. Something about it brings out the expression on his face.

[Dobick]

In my opinion -- no doubt the B&W. There is a level of emotion that comes with this image that seems to match better with the style of the rest of the shots that I have seen of yours in this series. especially stating your goal of establishing the mood with the choice of b&w vs. color.

The age in his eyes, as well as the fact that the nurse in the background fades away better in the b&w version are two of my reasons for suggesting that one.

[bburton]

Originally Posted by Dobick

the B&W.... the nurse in the background fades away better in the b&w version ....

Great photo, Doug. I agree about the background in the B&W version. You might consider blurring the background even more...after all these poor souls live perpetually in a "blurred background."

[LoungeLizard]

B&W - it's more about him than the shirt!

[carrbowl]

I think the B&W makes you focus more on the face of the person and not on all the other stuff in the photo...it makes you focus on the important thing....the man and his face....what is he thinking...what is he doing...why is he there...what is he doing...the color distracts and makes you look at other stuff...

and BTW ...I love seeing these photos..I have always had a heart for the elderly and my heart aches when I see these photos...yet I smile knowing that someone like you cares enough to still go enjoy their company. thank you..

[arcproducts]

Doug - -

I visited your site - - your Alzheimer photos are AWESOME. Each tells such a story. Your titling and brief comments are very moving.

This one captured me and kept me wrapped up in it -

http://www.pbase.com/doug_young/image/83052589

- the title just says it all. Are you planning to do something with your growing collection ????????

[Comanche]

Wow! You guys jumped right on this thread. Thanx for the feedback.

And - I'm flattered some of you remember other photos I have posted. You may recall I was having a lot of problems with reflections. A circular polarizer couldn't get rid of the glare, so I tried something different. I shot this with my 50 f1.4, stopped down a little to f 2.5 to get background blur, but give me enough DoF that most of the subject is in focus. A little work in post processing got rid of the glare from the reflections.

Bruce - the residents do indeed live in a blurred world. To tell the truth, I intentionally shot this with a nurse in the background - just to establish the environment. Kent - I hadn't noticed that the nurse is a bit more in the background in the B&W.

Renae - thanx for the kudos, but I can't actually say I enjoy visiting the home. I go because my mother is there, but I see my future in that place, and I don't like it.

Susan - thank you too. You asked what I do with the photos. First of all, I have worked out an agreement with the administrator of the facility - she is free to use whatever photo she wants to use in any way she deems fit. It is a non-profit institution and they do some fund raising. If these photos can help, so be it. However, I also blog. I used the photo of the couple you mention in a posting I put up tonight. The link is in my signature file.

Now - I gotta find a few more "happy" shots to take.

[carrbowl]

Doug...that is the sad part...we are all going to be there some day...so lets be kind and pay it forward!!! Although sadly enough I have heard statistacally the generation growing up now will be the first generation that will not outlive their parents. Why you say...because of their nasty eating/health habits. That just breaks my heart that we as Americans are so lazy and so fat that we are literally killing ourselves.

[Comanche]

Originally Posted by carrbowl

Doug...that is the sad part...we are all going to be there some day...so lets be kind and pay it forward!!! Although sadly enough I have heard statistacally the generation growing up now will be the first generation that will not outlive their parents. Why you say...because of their nasty eating/health habits. That just breaks my heart that we as Americans are so lazy and so fat that we are literally killing ourselves.

Renae - They say you learn much about your own culture after living in another. You may have seen some of my photos on the TPF (there are lots of them in my PBase site) taken in Viet Nam. I lived there for 1 1/2 years.

We live in the richest nation on earth. We have ( as a whole) one of the very highest levels of education in the world. We have choices in our food and our life style nobody else has. Yet, with all that, we have chosen to kill ourselves by our food choices and our life style of living in an automobile.

Yeah - pay it forward. Good flick, and better idea. Thanx for saying that - pay it forward.

[lucian]

B&W. It draws you to the face and then the eyes.

[FlyingR6]

Since you are trying to set the mood here, there is no doubt the B&W does that. And, how Bruce already said, go for the blurrier background.

[robert t]

B & W for sure, My Dad passed after going through this, I can only be thankful it was only for a few years. Watching as he forgot who we were and who his grandkids were.

[dbphotos]

In my opinion anytime you have a subject with a lot of wrinkles and texture to their face you are better off with black and white. Not if I was doing a pictorial story on alzheimer's disease I stay with color as it makes the person seem more "real".

Just my .02 cents.

[dtscds]

another vote for the B&W