brentrh Loc: Deltona, FL

Look at Ansel Adam’s photography if they were in color you probably would not stand in amazement as you will given a opportunity to see a sampling of his work

Iankahler Loc: Seattle WA

I can see that this post has a lively history. My wife does not like BW. I have a hard time convincing her that anything looks good in BW. But then her eyes are very sensitive to light and she often claims she can see so much more color in any given scene than I can. Perhaps it is something to do with the rods in our eyes.
In MY opinion... if the subject is simple... simple and direct in form and shadow... then it looks good in black and white. Contrast also, is everything in a good BW. Here is an example. Uncomplicated subjects.... a direct message...all equals a powerful image when presented in BW.
In the end, it all comes done to how the photographer wants to perceive the subject. I photograph for MY satisfaction. Not everyone will see my photograph in the same way I see it. SO be it.

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brentrh Loc: Deltona, FL

I shoot color but have spent many hours processing thousands of B&W prints they will always have ther place In photography.
My future will have B&W prints in it. There are numerous examples of images that color would distract the quality

BartHx

With the popularity of digital photography, I am seeing an attitude of pushing a button and switching from color to B&W and back again and expecting to have photos of equal impact. Color and B&W are different art forms that need to be treated as such. Some subjects lend themselves better to color and others, in the hands of the right photographer, are much more suited to B&W. With color, except for what you can accomplish with a polarizer and (with digital) post processing, you are pretty much limited to producing a realistic image without making it border on the abstract. With many images, that is what is desired. At the same time, I learned the zone system and filters directly from Ansel Adams himself. With B&W, you have the power to manipulate the image to what you would like it to be. You can bring parts forward, emphasize their texture, drop something to the level of background, separate areas that would otherwise be of similar intensity, etc. B&W allows the photographer much more room for interpretation of the photographer's vision without an end product that feels artificial. This thread includes many examples of side by side comparisons of the same shot in color and B&W. In each case, the subject has been selected to show in such a way as to support the writer's point of view. I will say, again, they are two different media and two different art forms. You would not expect an artist who produces beautiful work in chalk to automatically be able to produce the same quality of work in oil paints or visa versa. Some may be able to master both, but they are likely the exceptions. Taking a photo shot in color and dropping out the color to make it black and white does not do justice to the black and white medium. From before the exposure, a photo needs to be intended to be color or B&W in order to take the unique advantages of each option to produce the optimum product. If you find a B&W photo to be "flat", there are only a limited numb of things to blame: the subject was not one suitable for black and white interpretation to begin with, you disagree with the way the photographer elected to interpret the image, the photographer was unable to interpret the image in the way he/she wanted to see it, or the processing and printing did not meet the photographer's expectations.

Pixelmaster Loc: New England

The USS Picking (DD-685) was built in 1942 at Bethlehem Steel Company, Staten Island , NY.
It was a Fletcher Class Destroyer that had a speed of 38 knots and a range of
6500 Nautical Miles. Radio Call Sign: "Rough Shod". Saw action in WWII and Korea and Vietnam.

chrisg-optical Loc: New York, NY

No but just saw the movie on Netflix (fictional story of last rolls of K64 to be developed in Kansas - not necessarily last production rolls, just old rolls with latent image by fictional photographer dying of cancer - Ed Harris stars)....

Also just watched this doc on the real last production roll of Kodachrome to be shot by Steve McCurry - very interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1420&v=DUL6MBVKVLI

Anyone still have undeveloped Kodachrome?

current Loc: Hooper Utah

We are fortunate to have the option of color and black and white. Both have their fortes. I take raw color images and convert them to black and white to challenge my artistic bent. I revel in creating an image without the distraction of color. When I take a picture it’s about content not color. Often when we look at color images what’s impressive is the color, not content, especially when they are over edited to magnify artificial color. The absence of color, encourages me to look for unique subject matter, when effective in black and white, is very satisfying.
Before I take the shot I visualize it in b/w knowing there is a place for both- some shots don’t work in black and white. Personally learning to take effective images in black and white have made me a better photographer.

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Attached file:
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canon Lee

Maybe some colored sprinkles would help?

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

There are always going to be naysayers. If you say black then someone else will definitely say white. You must have known that when you raised this topic in the first place. Although I love good monochrome, 90% of all my images are still in color. As I stated earlier this is not a color versus monochrome issue but for many people who responded I think you made it one. In many of your posts you didn't just show a preference for color but were dismissive of the value of monochrome. For those of us who recognize the importance of monochrome as an art form, even today, you were throwing down a gauntlet, a challenge. It was bound to get ugly.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

👍👍 well stated.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Lol. Even as a kid I never liked sprinkles. I also never liked Sundays, or chocolate sauce on my vanilla ice cream. Chocolate is chocolate and vanilla is vanilla, and never the twain shall meet. I love them both, but I love them separately, and vanilla will always have the edge.

canon Lee

Hi Again.. Artists/photographers, tend to be intense when it comes to what we see and what we want to paint or photograph....As an artist I tend to feel what I see, rather than to see the object. Perhaps this is what from an artists point of view was being expressed..
For me "shadows" capture my interests as they are negative space and accent and define shape.... Anyway, just accept how differently artists see things... Don't you think "different" is a good thing? M.C Escher defines how an artist sees form and shape in negative space... Sometimes its good to look at empty spaces and how they define a subject.... Shadows stimulate the mind to know what is not, rather then what is in full color (color hides the obvious) ... Photography should leave much to the mind to connect the dots, rather then telling the whole story, which is boring...
I attached a few examples to make it easier to understand how differently we all see things.... Not all photography is intended to be art!
https://gurushots.com/article/black-and-white-photography-guide

canon Lee

LOL My best friend never mixes her food on the plate... She for some reason needs to each separately..... I am a mixer... Mashed potatoes, creamed veggies, gravy, meat... OH yeah...

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

You’re asking why I like chocolate more than vanilla. It’s not being insulting; it is true. If you have to ask, you will never really know. You might understand on some level, but the difference will be like reading the menu vs. eating dinner.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

In a word, YUCK!!!!