I've been working on my anti-black and white bias lately: I'm glad to say that there's been some real progress! The therapist says it may have its roots in some recurring childhood nightmares about colorless Kansas tornadoes carrying off little girls and their dogs, followed by lots of singing and skipping down bright yellow roads through some VERY saturated technicolor trees.
The first step in my journey was to accept that black and white isn't LESS than color. It's just DIFFERENT. Another way of viewing a scene. TONES of darkness and light rather than the infinite number of -- and to me infinitely more satisfying -- shades and tints of color! Alright: Granted. It's a different way of seeing things. But BETTER? In an artists dreams, maybe.
Did you know that we're all color-blind after dark? The cones in our eyes, which are the receptors responsible for color detection (rods are for black and white) all shut down in the dark. You guessed it: Lynda.com. It's also true that our cones are divided into three kinds: One for red, one for green, and one for blue color detection. Sound at all familiar?
The cones in our eyes represent only 2% of our visual perception. 98% of our ability to see is devoted to recognizing tones. Variations in shading. Contrast. No wonder we... some people... find it so satisfying! Did you know that once our eyes adjust to a completely dark room, the rods are capable of detecting a single photon of light?? WHITE light... in BLACK darkness.
Here's the short list of reasons I'm hearing for why black and white is a skill that every photographer should develop. Mind you, I don't subscribe to any of them myself necessarily, but a few on the list are starting to make more sense to me than they once did.
1) B&W represents an overwhelming majority of the photographs taken in the history of photography.
2) B&W photographs are often more compelling than the same image in color.
3) B&W offers an entirely new language for expressing our creative vision for an image.
4) B&W eliminates distractions that keep us from seeing the true essence of a scene.
5) Learning to SEE for B&W shooting makes us better COLOR photographers, as well.

I specialize in B&W photography both digital and silver. I also teach B&W photography. The hard part about B&W is being able to visualize an image in B&W when you are looking through the viewfinder of the camera before you press the shutter. Some images are better in B&W is a true statement. Photography started in 1826 in france when Joseph Nicephore was able to create the 1st actual permanent image on a pewter plate. This photograph is still here in the Museum in Austen Texas. Think of that statement, it is the first one. You cant say that about painting or poetry or lithography but photography has its beginnings and we can all see it. This first image is a B&W image of rooftops and for more then 100 years B&W photography was all there was with some minor experimenting in color processes but nothing that was done on any film. B&W photography is an amazing art form with a rich history. Most of the great photographs have been done in B&W, look at the great photographers, ex Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Steigletz etc and you will see a plethora of wonderful B&W. the tradition of B&W photography is wide and varied and by being a part of it we become a part of the photographic history. Keep shooting B&W and keep the history happening. Look at past photographers and learn from them. B&W is special and mysterious because we see color all the time and learning to see and appreciate B&W imaging is definitely good for making your head bigger. B&W photography rules, keep thinking B&W!

I see you are truly excited about shooting, teaching and learning B/W, but I feel if color would have come first we would not be talking about ancient technology. This is the 21st century.