Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => The Coffee Corner => Topic started by: LesPalenik on August 08, 2017, 11:45:14 am

Title: B&W photos - sign of depression
Post by: LesPalenik on August 08, 2017, 11:45:14 am
Now, we know the real reason why some people tend to produce black and white photos.

Quote
A new algorithm can predict depression from photos people post on Instagram and may in future prompt a visit to the doctor.
..
Depressed people, it turned out, tended to post blue-toned or dim photos, or use black-and-white filters.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23130892-700-instagram-posts-can-reveal-depression-before-doctors-diagnose-it/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/08/22/your-instagram-feed-can-tell-us-if-youre-depressed-study-suggests/?utm_term=.997b7cf7ce4e

Title: Re: B&W photos - sign of depression
Post by: Paulo Bizarro on August 08, 2017, 12:10:04 pm
Of course, nothing new. We see blue as a cold colour, and dimness as menacing.
Title: Re: B&W photos - sign of depression
Post by: JNB_Rare on August 08, 2017, 12:25:28 pm
Do manic depressives make those monochromatic images with spot colour?
Title: Re: B&W photos - sign of depression
Post by: David Sutton on August 08, 2017, 06:36:17 pm
Hard to know where to start with this study, but...
bollocks...
...seems the best response.
No mention of the probability that it's the smart phones themselves that make you depressed. Is that before or after they make you stupid? Dunno.
The researchers appear to equate sadness and a bit of social isolation with depression and then mental illness. How American. By demonising introversion and sadness and relentlessly pursuing happiness the US appears to have populated their entire county with the barking mad. Or maybe it's just something in the water over there?
David
Title: Re: B&W photos - sign of depression
Post by: luxborealis on August 08, 2017, 07:57:32 pm
Hard to know where to start with this study, but...
bollocks...
...seems the best response.
The researchers appear to equate sadness and a bit of social isolation with depression and then mental illness. By demonising introversion and sadness and relentlessly pursuing happiness...
David

I agree, David, although the phonomemon is not specific to America, but rather populist, western culture in general.
Title: Re: B&W photos - sign of depression
Post by: David Sutton on August 08, 2017, 10:17:05 pm
I agree, David, although the ohonomemon is not specific to America, but rather polpulist, western culture in general.
Yes. So how did our egos ever survive before the internet and the mobile phone? I can't remember...
Title: Re: B&W photos - sign of depression
Post by: tom b on August 09, 2017, 10:01:28 am
Oh noooooo, I really like the blue toned image, am I…

(https://d1o50x50snmhul.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/31180000/gettyimages-553241319-800x533.jpg)

In contemplation,
Title: Re: B&W photos - sign of depression
Post by: Otto Phocus on August 09, 2017, 10:41:14 am
So this is what passes as a "study" these days?
Title: Re: B&W photos - sign of depression
Post by: Chairman Bill on August 09, 2017, 11:49:33 am
As someone who continues to struggle with PTSD-induced depression, and has done so for several years, I'm inclined to say that this is complete nonsense.
Title: Re: B&W photos - sign of depression
Post by: Rob C on August 09, 2017, 03:10:41 pm
Probably fits me to a t. I enjoy making dark images of single models (mannequins, I'm afraid - all I can find) and I never have been the life 'n' soul of many parties; mainly I hope not to get invited.

I always found the home hearth worth so much more... Sadly, when the fire goes out and all that's left is the ash of memory, then it's time for Nikon to earn its keep once more. Thank God for Nikon and Photoshop.

And to think that all along I had imagined myself reasonably content! No wonder some folks feel a little bit low if they require constant company and it's not forthcoming.

Of course, a lot depends on your personal definition of the state of happiness and whether you subscribe to the idea that it's a constant state unless disrupted by something that transforms it into sorrow. My take is that normal life is a straight line, a datum as it were, with happiness a blip upwards and sadness a blip southwards with normal being that straight line I just mentioned.

;-)

Rob
Title: Re: B&W photos - sign of depression
Post by: Alan Klein on August 10, 2017, 07:13:27 am
I posted bw and color photos.   Does that mean have a split personality or do I suffer from manic depression?
Title: Re: B&W photos - sign of depression
Post by: MattBurt on July 21, 2020, 11:50:05 am
I've noticed I'm more into the grey and dark images when I'm not feeling as chipper as usual. Or maybe it's that conditions that favor those images bring me down a little?
But then correlation does not indicate causation...

Edit: Oops, old thread revived by the WendyBot3000 there ^^