Color or black & white? Perhaps this topic has been rehashed before. But maybe we can do it again for the new comers. What is it that will determine if a subject is to be converted to...

Photobum Loc: Auburn, Washington

Perhaps this topic has been rehashed before. But maybe we can do it again for the new comers. What is it that will determine if a subject is to be converted to black & white or remain in color? Or, what is it that makes you say "this will be an awesome b&w"? I know some have their own preferences one way or another while some lean heavily towards one over the other.

Speaking for myself, if a subject has bold colors that cannot be ignored, then color it is. (Flowers, Grand Canyon etc.) On the otherhand, so many times I see a subject or landscape that simply calls out for b&w, and to see what i can do to bring about my vision to invoke or enhance an emotion.

So please, feel free to chime in. For me, I'd look forward to many replies. Best wishes to all. Ken

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Ken, now that you've done the opening, please post some of your fantastic b&w images in the thread. Would love to learn the how and why of your choices.

I enjoy shooting for a black and white result. It's a whole different mindset to "see" your compositions in that way while taking the picture (I have many fond memories of a b&w film class I took in 1990

).

I particularly like this quote from Ben Long on lynda.com: "In a black-and-white image, the world is reduced purely to tone, to light and shadow, brightness and darkness... As a black-and-white photographer, your visual vocabulary simplifies to form, shape, texture, volume, highlight and shadow."

Good topic! Yes, it has been discussed before (I've hosted two of 'em myself), but definitely could be a semi-annual event. Many thanks for this one, Ken.

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One result of a morning spent "seeing in black and white" - textures, repeating forms and shadows.

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Decision to convert made while editing. A busy image, but because of the tonal range it's easy to distinguish between the spaces and shapes, the soft and hard. Green grass added nothing 🙄

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Monochrome - varying tones of one color - is another way to go. Does blue make it feel colder?

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Photobum Loc: Auburn, Washington

Linda From Maine wrote:

Ken, now that you've done the opening, please post some of your fantastic b&w images in the thread. Would love to learn the how and why of your choices.

.

Thank you, Linda. I've attached several b&w that I'm rather fond. But when you ask me how or why I chose them for conversion to b&w, that's a head scratcher. For reasons unknown to the human race, I simply saw the subject in tones/shades of grey and said "yes"! Other than the photo of Union Station in Tacoma, they were all quite colorful and pretty, but in my mind's eye, all I saw was black & white.

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Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Photobum wrote:

Thank you, Linda. I've attached several b&w that I'm rather fond. But when you ask me how or why I chose them for conversion to b&w, that's a head scratcher. For reasons unknown to the human race, I simply saw the subject in tones/shades of grey and said "yes"! Other than the photo of Union Station in Tacoma, they were all quite colorful and pretty, but in my mind's eye, all I saw was black & white.

I'm familiar with head scratchers

Personally, the less I think, the more I usually enjoy the results - right brain is my happy place for photography. Thank you, Ken!

Photobum Loc: Auburn, Washington

Hmmm... I'm not sure why, but the caption for each photo didn't show up. Anyway, for each photo, I try to capture a wide range of the grey scale without blowing out the highlights nor the shadows. Sometimes I succeed while other times I don't. I'm not opposed to doctoring up the photos to my own satisfaction either. Case in point, the clouds in the first church photo actually came from another photo taken in Arizona.

Best wishes to all. Please post your thoughts.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Photobum wrote:

Perhaps this topic has been rehashed before. But ... (show quote)

The only rule is, there is no rules. I capture an image and while I am in the midst of composition, I think this would look nice and B&W. Then, back at the computer, I see that it looks like. Landscapes I think, are more dramatic in B&W because you are not distracted by colors and can see the "structure of the image.

The two images (crop in color is not exact, I had to do it in a hurry) are great, but the black and white is just dramatic. Your eye, as the Artist, is the final determination of what is a better result.

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Photobum Loc: Auburn, Washington

Whoa! Both are beautiful in their own right, but the b&w is stunning!

SueScott Loc: Hammondsville, Ohio

Linda From Maine wrote:

Ken, now that you've done the opening, please post... (show quote)

Wow! That first one looks like something from MC Escher!

LarryFB Loc: Depends where our RV is parked

WOW! Looking at the above responsives and the included photos, I am not sure about how to clarify the result. There are some photos in which the color dominates, but there are also some photos that the B&W dominates and the color actually detracts.

My recommendation is to look at both (especially if the color is of low contrast) and do what ever floats your boat.

I think the question is rhetorical.

Photobum Loc: Auburn, Washington

Here's a few more that applies to the subject: Where I find color inescapable, it seems almost sacrilege to convert to b&w. So, alot of my reasoning as to maintaining a color photo or switch to b&w is based solely on the predominant features of what's in front of me. And you? What would you do?

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JD750 Loc: SoCal

Photobum wrote:

What is it that will determine if a subject is to be converted to black & white or remain in color? Or, what is it that makes you say "this will be an awesome b&w"? Ken

I agree with Linda it is interesting to shoot for BW.

As to your question, BW vs color is dependent on what film I have loaded. LOL.

BW is more basic, so for scenes in which you want to emphasize form, texture, composition, BW can help do that.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

Sometimes colors just get in the way of what you want to express. Either by emphasizing the wrong element within the composition, or simply by causing a distraction.

cmc4214 Loc: S.W. Pennsylvania

It takes a "different eye" to shoot for black & white. Colors that are contrasty in color sometimes are not so in B&W

Brokenland

Photobum as you may already know and have quoted on several of my own black & white images, I've grown more into taking black and white now because of the new camera and how well the canon M6 adjust to low light. I think adjusting to black & white is a spur of the moment sort of thing, But the camera will be set for color 80% of the time.

The Villages Loc: The Villages, Florida

There is probably something said for the needed ISO. The higher you need to go, the more grain shows....which could have a better feel in B&W.

I believe the Nikon D7200 has high ISO values, BUT those are only available for B&W pics.