# Is the US Navy the last organization to still use obsolete black & white photography? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 3, 2019, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115 "2019-08-03T15:14:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/1 "2019-08-03T15:14:50Z")
I saw this article about a pilot that died in a training accident. B&W photo, I thought it was during the Korean War or maybe the early sixties era. Nope. The fatal accident happened recently. Is the US Navy the last organization to still use obsolete black & white photography? I checked several sources and they all used the same photo. It’s like the guy stepped off the TARDIS from 1952. > **[33-year-old Navy lieutenant killed in Death Valley Super Hornet crash](https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/33-year-old-navy-lieutenant-killed-in-death-valley-super-hornet-crash-1.593007)** > > Lt. Charles Z. Walker, from Strike Fighter Squadron 151 based at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California, was piloting through a canyon when he crashed into a ravine wall at high speed Wednesday. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/2 "2019-08-03T15:22:33Z")
btw I saw a thread discussing the crash and death. I didn’t want to be disrespectful by asking about the strange use of b&w photography in 2019. I’m pretty sure my last roll of b&w film was in a Kodak brownie in elementary school. I got a Polaroid for Christmas and all my scrapbook photos afterwards are in color. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/3 "2019-08-03T15:52:47Z")
B&W film is often used for artistic purposes, especially with portraits. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/4 "2019-08-03T15:55:57Z")
That looks like a professionally done portrait to me, rather than a run of the mill picture. Lots of photographers still use black and white for artistic effect. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/5 "2019-08-03T16:00:15Z")
T-MAX film for your 35mm camera is even still readily available, unlike many other brands of film. That suggests something about continuing demand. It does give a nice look to portraits, as several have noted. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/6 "2019-08-03T16:04:05Z")
Here is [an example page](https://www.navy.mil/viewGallery.asp?id=0&page=12844&r=4) from the US Navy official website gallery of images. They use color all the time. My WAG on the image you are referencing is that it’s professional portrait, as others have said, and that someone may have chosen the B&W because the pilot is dead. ETA: Black and white is a common selection you can make to take digital photos. This would seem to indicate that people still use it. I’ll note that it also works well for landscapes, in addition to portraits. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/7 "2019-08-03T16:16:47Z")
How would the pilot get a professional portrait done in a military jet? The flight line is restricted. They don’t allow civilians to wander around there. Even military personnel need to a legitimate reason to be on the flight line. My dad was a supervisor in the instrument shop and sometimes worked on instruments in the planes. Especially during his tour in Viet Nam ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/8 "2019-08-03T16:24:27Z")
You set it up through the public affairs office. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/9 "2019-08-03T16:27:19Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > How would the pilot get a professional portrait done in a military jet? > > The flight line is restricted. They don’t allow civilians to wander around there. Even military personnel need to a legitimate reason to be on the flight line. > > My dad was a supervisor in the instrument shop and sometimes worked on instruments in the planes. Especially during his tour in Viet Nam There is a photography rating in the Navy and every carrier has a Photo Shop. There is a really great chance every Navy Air Base also has Photo Shop. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/10 "2019-08-03T16:29:57Z")
That’s interesting. I hadn’t considered a Navy photographer. Thank you for informing me. The Straight Dope, ignorance is fought every day. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/11 "2019-08-03T16:49:42Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > That’s interesting. I hadn’t considered a Navy photographer. > > Thank you for informing me. > > The Straight Dope, ignorance is fought every day. 😉 Your Welcome. I was friends with one of the photographers on the USS Ranger and got some incredible shots of our combined fleet with the USS New Jersey. Including one with all the 16" guns firing at once. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/12 "2019-08-03T17:15:47Z")
Carriers also had **print shops** when I was in. I wonder if they still do? They use to have **carpentry shops** but that was shut down on the Ranger while I was there. My understanding is carriers have them still as do many supply ships. We had a rewind shop to completely rebuild motors. Machine Shop, Jet Shop (this was a huge space), a tire shop, At least 5 galleys, 2 for enlisted, 1 for Chiefs, 1 for Officers and a Captain’s Galley. I think there was also an Admiral’s Galley. Then we had ship stores for junk food (at least 2 and called geegunks), electronics, clothing (uniform and other) this one also had 2 books racks. We even had a small tight arcade and a small gym. We could repair small electric items in the Safety Shop and loaned out a variety of electric tools from drills to deck grinders. Another shop handled pneumatic tools like needle guns. We of course had a good size sick bay and dental office. We had on board surgeons and in emergencies the smaller ships like Frigates & Destroyers would air-evac men over to us for surgery or emergency care. There wasn’t much we couldn’t make or fix, though electronics got tricky. We were big on hot swap cards built tough to take a pounding and sensitive electronics all ran of 400hz power instead of 60hz. The hull techs were outstanding welders. The engine men rebuilt pumps. We had ICmen for the phone systems, supporting both a powered and sound powered phone network. Their rating symbol was the AT&T deathstar logo. We were a floating town in the end. Though while I was in, it was almost exclusively male. Though we were the first carrier to bring on board women flyers. The times being the 80s, they were under marine protection. Oh, we also had a small marine detachment at all times and then marine air wings at sea. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/13 "2019-08-03T17:39:55Z")
The U-2 still uses obsolete wet film cameras for certain photographs, even though digital cameras are now superior in nearly every way. In fact, that’s why the old camera system is still in use. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2019, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/14 "2019-08-03T18:29:15Z")
I think they wanted it to look like one of the classic portraits of aviators from the World War II - thru - Vietnam era, of which there are undoubtedly many all over the walls of Naval air stations and aboard carriers to be admired by everyone there. The mustache suggests he was emulating Robin Olds, a flying ace who was similarly adorned. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/15 "2019-08-06T21:56:53Z")
For official portraits, not many. For other pictures, they’re coming back. We just got our Real ID driver’s licenses, and the photos are B&W. I was told that facial recognition technology reads B&W better than color. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/16 "2019-08-06T23:54:48Z")
since this is a Navy thread, and a photography thread: I was on CGN 38, the USS Virginia and CVN 69 , the USS Eisenhower in the early 80’s. I shot a LOT of film on both ships as a sailor. I typically used PanX or TriX on the ships; both are Black and white films. On a ship environment the is not a lot of contract of colors but there is a lot of subject matter. Black and white POPS the contrast and can make some great shots. (on film that is). When I was on liberty (shore leave or port calls) I would shoot in color. ymmv I still love B&W even though I mostly shoot digital color now. I have some snaps from a Colorado trip and B&W with Mountains and lakes are pretty stunning. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/17 "2019-08-07T00:09:28Z")
There’s another option. They used a modern digital camera and Photoshopped it for that look. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/18 "2019-08-07T15:20:29Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > I think they wanted it to look like one of the classic portraits of aviators from the World War II - thru - Vietnam era, of which there are undoubtedly many all over the walls of Naval air stations and aboard carriers to be admired by everyone there. The mustache suggests he was emulating Robin Olds, a flying ace who was similarly adorned. Yep, almost certainly a color digital photo in this day and age, but post-processed to be B&W. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/19 "2019-08-08T14:57:24Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > There’s another option. They used a modern digital camera and Photoshopped it for that look. This. That’s definitely a digital color image with a black and white filter, and not a very good one either. The lights are blown out in many places, and the contrast isn’t great. They probably selected a red filter, a green filter may have been the better choice, or better adjustment of the levels. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-navy-the-last-organization-to-still-use-obsolete-black-white-photography/838115/20 "2019-08-08T16:35:52Z")
> [@Dorjan](#): > > This. That’s definitely a digital color image with a black and white filter, and not a very good one either. The lights are blown out in many places, and the contrast isn’t great. They probably selected a red filter, a green filter may have been the better choice, or better adjustment of the levels. Could be that they used one of those post-processing packages like DxO Film Pack that would allow them to attempt to simulate the use of a specific sort of film for a digital picture to get a ‘vintage’ look. Some of the “film” types make pictures look kind of weird like that.