b top gun wrote:
I like B & W because I feel the viewer can get distracted by colors and not get the full impact of the image. I have set a couple of my Nikons to shoot B & W in the past; I can check the image after because it will be displayed in B & W on the rear LCD display. That being noted, a Nikon Z8, set for B & W, when you look thru the viewfinder you are already looking at a B & W image.
When I get back from a photo shoot or a Nikon holiday, I will take my favorite images from those trips and decolorize them, it is interesting to see the results and get a new perspective on the images. Sometimes Fall color images produce really cool images when they are decolorized, they can resemble IR shots to a degree.
I found for myself that shooting B & W on certain cloudy days can add "mood" to the images. Also why I prefer some clouds in the sky when shooting seascapes and landscapes. I used to not bother going out with a Nikon on overcast days; no more, at least when there is good contrast produced by the clouds, that contrast is important.
B & W can grab ya when done right. One of my favorite quotes about photography goes..."Don't shoot what you see; shoot what you feel!" YES!!! I got a good shot of the Alaska Range and Denali specifically this September past; the color image is very good but the B & W talks to me more, and has better contrast. I have the B & W hanging on a wall at home.
Some flower images look great when decolorized; take a red rose and decolorize it, sometimes the rose will appear to be a smooth grey velvet.
A good B & W has good contrast and good shadows, and its composition is more obvious, to me.
Another trick I have made use of, take a photo I have had for quite a while and flip it around, now you have a whole new image. This does not work obviously if you have text or signage in the shot.
I like B & W because I feel the viewer can get... (
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Thanks for your thoughts - I'll keep them in mind as I experiment, and I'll definitely try the red rose when we get some this spring.