Should we colour black and white photos?

[Latchfordian]

I've taken advantage of the COVID restrictions to get round to something I've been meaning to do for years ........ sorting and scanning the many 100s of B+W photos that my family has accumulated over many years. I tried a few on colourising software and I've been really impressed at what it can do with the inbuilt artificial intelligence. However, I really am undecided as to whether this is a good thing to do as those B+W photos reflect a certain era and colourising them does, to my mind, lose their authenticity. I know it's a matter of personal choice but I'd like to hear what other people think.

[Milliepede]

Personally I would leave them black and white for authenticity.  If you have any duplicates or very similar photos then no harm colouring one of them to have the best of both worlds.

[ReadyDale]

If you've scanned them, so they are electronic and there is nothing to stop you having a b&w copy ANDa colour copy. Personally, I wouldn't ONLY keep the colourised version.

[tomkin]

        It's only wrong if the coloured picture is used to deceive. I think most people can tell

      that a photograph has been artificially enhanced by colour.  If not then their education is

        sadly lacking. The same applies to restorations.   As soon as you alter the picture, you

       are in effect altering an historic document. That is why I often put  on "that this picture

        is a reconstruction and may not be a correct representation"   Of course how the owner

        uses that picture is up to them, but it is a worry.  But it is now becoming increasing

      popular to colourise photographs and films especially  WW1

[Jebber]

It is entirely your personal choice.

Personally I'm against colourisation, the original sepia and black and white photos are appropriate to the times they were taken. Very early coloured photos were hand coloured black and white photos  so not true colours anyway.

Some of the best professional photos taken today are in black and white, they are considered to superior to coloured photography.

[IgorStrav]

I think a copy of the black and white original should always be retained.

However, it is amazing how much people 'come to life' in a beautifully colourised version, and this can very much help you understand them as people rather than simply images which don't relate as much to you.

The (relatively) recent colourisation/adjustment of speed in the WWI film They Shall Not Grow Old - which was very carefully and consciously done - made a huge impact on me, over and above the many black and white images I have seen over the years.

It is entirely up to the eye of the beholder, that's just my opinion.

[Gadget]

Personally, I prefer my old photos in B&W or sepia but I would colour them, if requested by owners. However, I try to find out the colours of the period.

Some colourization in violent colours make me shudder 

Gadget

[IgorStrav]

Personally, I prefer my old photos in B&W or sepia but I would colour them, if requested by owners. However, I try to find out the colours of the period.

Some colourization in violent colours make me shudder 

Gadget

I mentioned 'beautifully colourised version' in my original post, and that description most definitely included you, Gadget, and the wonderful RC Photo Board contributors   .

[groom]

I wouldn't want a photo colourised. As Gadget said, many are awful and unless the person who is doing the colouring knows the exact colour of hair, eyes and clothes it isn't true to life. On another forum someone put up a colourised photo of a soldier for identification. It was pointed out that the colour of the uniform didn't match the hat badge, so was totally wrong.

What annoys me most though is people who take it upon themselves to colour a photo which perhaps has been submitted for dating, without asking permission.

The trouble is there is a new App which colours and people think it is fine to use and that it will be correct. I know from what people have said before on here that to do it properly takes hours, not seconds!