23 January 2009

Marilyn at Le Balico


A corner of Le Balico, my favourite restaurant in Menton.

The main photo was taken with a flash - too much bright colour - and so perhaps better in B & W.

The smaller one (a slightly different shot and showing the 'Winter in Monte Carlo' poster), was taken without flash - it's slightly blurry but it has a much softer, gentler look than the flashed photo.

Which do you prefer?

Note: Since posting this, Le Balico has been sold and is now under new management.

22 comments:

  1. la photo en b&w est très belle et puis la superbe Marylin...

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  2. When we blow up the colour photo we see the ravages of extremely high ISO and the photo looks far less attractive than when seen as a small thumbnail. So we see the photographer's dilemma and we learn that the world of reality always presents us with choices we wish we did not have to make. The B&W tells us that with some ingenuity we can sometimes snatch success from the jaws of certain defeat. Whatever, Jilly! There's much to enjoy in the photo! As usual........!!!!!

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  3. I usually prefer B&W but in this case the colours are so nice. Maybe there is grain but it lends a nice atmosphere to the picture.

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  4. B & W. Much better.

    -rick


    california

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  5. It seems more 'right' in monochrome .. maybe its because the late Ms Monroe was an icon in a time that embraced monochromes

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  6. The B&W shows the couple in the background better, i.e. better composition and more interest. The depth of field with the low light makes the wine bottle fuzzy without using the flash. I'll go with the B&W overall.

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  7. Ah maryline ....

    J'aime ce noir et blanc

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  8. The b&w without a doubt. Chuckeroon covers the teckie bit so well, but also aesthetically it's so retro it demands monochrome. In the community favs it sits next to Eric's stocking clad legs both image seem to compliment each other.

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  9. I prefer the b&w and Marilyn looked better in b&w too!!
    Have a nice weekend (very rainy over here).

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  10. I agree with most, b&w for me. Good choice Jilly.

    At first I thought the black piece in the forefront was a hairdryer and this was a hair and beauty salon. It would have worked well too :-)))

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  11. May we compromise? The B&W is so evocative, and I'd love to see it with the just the added "ping!" of coppery-red color on the bottle's neck (captured so well in the small picture). Is the word "photoshop" a profanity on this blog??

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  12. Thanks so much for the comments - makes such interesting reading re B & W or not. And Teri, re photoshop - I don't have it and am not sure I'd be able to use it! All I ever do is use iPhoto or Picasa to crop a photo, occasionally to add light or shadow and of course to change a pic from colour to B and W. Maybe one day...

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  13. I think if the color was larger I would go for that. I guess it is because for so many years that is all we had in film -- black and white.

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  14. I prefer the B&W. I like its crispness and elegance. The B&W also creates a nice 50s look with Miss Monroe.

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  15. I'm definitely in the B&W camp for this one. Texture and mood harmonize with theme in this very human still life. The color shot feels a bit discordant.

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  16. The black and white one. It looks like it could have been taken in the 50's. I love it!

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  17. J'aime ce blanc et noir like Bergson and get to practice mon francais!!! Like 'roon's comments too. "Snatching success from the jaws of certain defeat!" He's a hoot.
    V

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  18. Chuckeroon articulated my feelings better than I could. Nice post, Jilly.

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  19. The B&W is a potential masterpiece.

    Jon

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  20. I like both. The b&w perhaps has more of a fifties feel to it, which I associate with Marilyn, but the other one with its warm colours conveys the atmosphere of the restaurant. Together they make a very nice post.

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  21. Hard to choose like always for me between black and white and colors..
    I like both.

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  22. The B&W looks so natural with Marilyn. Good choice to go that way with the flash pic, Jilly.

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