Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

In arenas of creativity, “to each his own” has validity. One’s preferences for how one expresses their vision artistically can be quite different between artists/photographers. Likewise, viewers can vary greatly in their preferences for images they see. What appears alive and natural to some, can be seen as mundane and ordinary by others. What some see as flat and dull may be viewed as dynamic and intriguing by someone else.

To answer the query directly, some of us who occasionally work in B&W find the attraction in the emphasis on contrasts, textures, and shapes rendered without color, to be compelling and an interesting challenge to work with. Not better or worse than color; just artistically interesting to work with.

One of my original instructors (in a class devoted to color photography) would often ask during critique about why the photographer chose to shoot in color rather than B&W (or vise versa). The implication was that from the standpoint of artistic expression, some images may lend themselves better to one over the other. Over time, I’ve come to appreciate that implication. Exploring the process of how to make that choice, for me, provides the attraction of sometimes eschewing color for working an image in B&W.

Below are two of my images. Each was consciously rendered as either color or B&W to emphasize those aspects of the scene I found most interesting; in one, the strong primary colors: in the other, the shapes, textures and contrasts.

Feiertag Loc: British Columbia, Canada

Buddy, from what I have seen what you have displayed, I will take you on, one on one. My skill against yours. What do you say, big nuts?

Feiertag Loc: British Columbia, Canada

Thanks Lee. I'm in your corner! B^)

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Exactly! Love them both. The composition of the first one is really interesting. The second one is made for black and white. It would probably lose all its impact in color.

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

Perfect example, and explanation. Thanks for sharing.

Feiertag Loc: British Columbia, Canada

Cheers.

tdekany Loc: Oregon

The more you post in this thread, the more narcissistic you are sounding.

Did you not say that you are still working on your color photos and that you don’t like your own B&W? That is what I was referring to

If you want to have a pissing contest, you have to find someone else.

srt101fan

finalimage Loc: Brattleboro, VT

To me black and white is interpretive whereas color must be just the way I saw it. I enjoy both and most of my images stay in color but the ones that hit me emotionally are in black and white. As others have suggested it’s individual taste. But the photos of Ansel Adams and Edward Weston are just magnificent. Just my two cents worth.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

B&W, done right, is it's own unique medium. In the days that it was king, highlights and shadows expertly exposed could blow away anything done in color today.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Difference in effects

Largobob

You said it all...."to each his own." (Notice I corrected your improper pronoun)

delottphoto

Maybe take a new look!

Spirit Vision Photography Loc: Behind a Camera.

Yep. 👍

Spirit Vision Photography Loc: Behind a Camera.

“When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in Black and white, you photograph their souls!”

-Ted Grant