jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I prefer color, but many pictures look excellent in B&W.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

My first choice is black and white. So, with me, it's what makes me decide to produce a color photograph. The driving force here is are the subject's colors important to the photograph? If they are, I'll process it for the colors. I recently photographed a series of paintings done on buildings. Those needed to be processed for the colors they contained. If I were just photographing buildings, the process would be for black and white.

For portraits, I prefer black and white, unless the subject specifically requests color. As someone opined, a black and white portrait shows the person. A color portrait shows what they are wearing.
--Bob

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

I enjoy many of the b&w images posted on UHH, but find myself drawn to color. I have converted images to b&w where there are not vibrant colors or when I think the tonality or abstract nature of the image would be highlighted.

Photobum Loc: Auburn, Washington

Thanks Bob for the thoughtful reply. What you stated pretty much mimics my train of thought now that you mention it.

And thanks to all who have posted so far. The more replies, the better. Ken.

mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma

I love b&w for texture and contrast and the resulting, to me, drama. I’ll shoot for b&w, but I’ll sometimes look at a color photo and do a quick flip to b&w to see if I like it better. I also use it for some interior shots where converting them to b&w takes a meh photo to a more special place.

Dikdik Loc: Winnipeg, Canada

When I first started 35mm, I used to prefer B&W. First, because of the cost and the ease of development and secondly, and more important, the following. With B&W, you can mess with the exposure to improve the picture. With colour, you mess with the colour; it's far more difficult, and, often with 'bad' results'. B&W gives far more latitude for 'playing' with the print, often, with stunning effects.

With a little luck (skill?) the exposure could be 'stretched' by 3 or 4 stops.

Dik

buddah17 Loc: The Bahamas

Good Morning...
Your mention of the "higher you go.." on the ISO reminded me of something. A few weeks ago we attened a Pow Wow that was held indoors. A new rule had a barrier between the dancers and the crowd, and the lights were very dim. I did a few shots just for a record, but due to the lighting, the distance between us and my lens (18-135mm) I was not able to get anything of "value.." But took one out just now and transfered it to B&W. In MY opinion, it looks MUCH more acceptable. (NOT great, but...) See below...
BUT.... NOW I HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM AND SEE WHICH ONES WOULD WORK BETTER IN B&W
Darn you Ugly Hedgehog... (There goes my weekend!!)

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10MPlayer Loc: California

I don't know what makes me take a look at an image in b/w to see if it would look better. I just do it when it occurs to me. I think sometimes you have an interesting subject but the colors of it or of the surrounding area are dull/bland. In that case it might make sense to see if you can make the subject stand out better. in b/w.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

What a difference using b&w film and converting from colors! With film I can see quality tonalities that I cannot see with a color conversion but that is me. If we look at a b&w image by Ansel Adams we could see that his bright areas are pristine and full of details and the shadows beautiful with plenty of details. I am sure those that have worked extensively with b&w photography know that exposure has a lot to do with it. When using b&w film the exposure reveals details in the shadow areas while the development controls the highlights. This is achieved through testing although some workers rely on a densitometer.

With digital we can turn excellent conversions and if you ask me I am going to say that beginning with a good exposure is of paramount importance. With digital we expose for the bright areas where we want detail. Digital allows to open the shadow areas, a significant departure from film. Overdone, that opening of shadows can show the ugly face of noise.

We have today at our disposal excellent softwares for the conversions, something unheard of only a few years ago. The "digital darkroom" allows manipulations that we did not even dream of when we were working with film. I dare to say that a careful worker can turn excellent images through conversions and those images compete very favorably with those of film. All thanks to softwares and the abilities of the operator to "see" subjects that will make a good b&w image from color.

I spent months perfecting my techniques in b&w photography and I was blessed having two excellent instructors, one of them passed away a few years ago. It has not been easy for me to adapt to conversions but I am learning and I get inspired here with the beautiful images I see from other members like Linda, Bob and Photobum.

It is known that Ansel Adams spent days, weeks and sometimes months perfecting his images in the darkroom. With some of his images his expertise produced quality prints like his famous "Moonrise over Hernandez, New Mexico," an image he started with a badly underexposed negative but that became one of his most famous images due to his expertise in the darkroom.

I love b&w images and I admit I went through tough times when I started to work with conversions, years ago. We did not have the excellent softwares that we have today and very soon I became very disappointed in b&w photography and neglected it completely. By the time the softwares were available I have lost my "touch" for good monochrome images and it has taken me a lot of work and time to come close to what I used to do.

Good monochrome photography is a challenge. We have to be grateful that we have come a long way since the days when software to convert our images was not available.
It is much easier today.

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tommystrat Loc: Bigfork, Montana

Sometimes, for me, a touch of both adds a dimension that I might not be able to achieve by going 100% either way.

Photobum Loc: Auburn, Washington

Oh yes... I've noticed your impressive work. And you're right... sometimes neither seem to work, but a combination of both seems to turn the trick.

tommystrat Loc: Bigfork, Montana

Thank you for the kind words! They are much appreciated...

scsdesphotography Loc: Southeastern Michigan

Hi Photobum, this is a fair question. I've written extensively about the appeal of B&W images in our modern world. But, your question is how do you know? Sometimes your images will scream B&W, no doubt how they will look. It's all those other ones that call for indecision. should I convert or not? Fortunately this is easy to determine. Make a duplicate image, find the B&W conversion choice in the drop down window and click on it, takes about five seconds. If you like it, keep it, if not, delete. No need to agonize over this, it will cost you nothing to convert. My experience is that you will be surprised even amazed at how some average images will pop and reveal all kinds of drama when converted. Have fun with this, I am.
l

ORpilot Loc: Prineville, Or

Like a lot of you, we only had a B&W TV growing up in the 50s and early 60s. Then when I got interested in Photography in the mid 60s, I could only afford B&W. I went on to get my BFA at Ohio University and a few seminars with Ansel Adams. I previsulize most of my shots. I can look at a color scene and see it in B&W. Now granted many scenes lend themselves to color. Todays digital photography makes it easy to do B&W. I almost always shoot in color and then convert to B&W. I recently picked up a used Fujifilm X A3, to see how it renders B&W. Fujifilm cameras can emulate many of Fujifilm Films. They also have onboard color filters for the B&W emulation. Many of the B&W images I have shot with the Fujifilm X camera have more of a "film" feel than those shot with my Sony camera and then converted. I find that B&W can change the "wow" factor or how you "feel" about an image. I like both. Some images lend themselves one or the other or both. Try B&W, you may just like it. Someday I would like to see and compare images from the Leica Mono. But at the price of a used car, I can't justify getting the Leica. Happy Shooting

Sony a99ii


Fujifilm X-A3 set to B&W and R filter

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

I often shoot for B&W. Old habits from film days. I mostly shot Plus-X film!