Black & White Photography

I would like to know more about black and white photography, specifically as it relates to digital photography. I guess I could always Google that, however I would like to know if there are any commonly known authoritative publications on the subject. I figure this would be the best place to ask.

I am also interested in what your experiences are in black and white.

My initial thought about bw is that perhaps the lack of colors facilitates more expressive opportunities since it is more... to the point? Eh, having a hard time articulating that. I know there are no absolutes, however do you think some subjects are more suited to bw photography than others?

I find that the black and white version speaks to me so much more than the color version:

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I think color can go all wrong in a hurry. Plus she is playing a Dmaj7 when she should be practicing a D.

“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

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Generally speaking, B&W photography is more powerful than color. Color makes things pretty, so in a color photograph, we often don't take the time to scratch what's beneath the surface of the image. With B&W, that superficial layer is already removed. B&W photography "captures a scene" better than color. It's easier to convey a mood or feeling. It's pure and uninhibited, especially when dealing with photographs of people.

I don't think there are any subjects more suited to B&W. Awhile back, we had an excellent Weekly Challenge: Flowers...With a Twist. Flowers are a subject that everyone associates with beauty, and I think that challenge proved that color is not needed to express beauty.

Most of my personal work is B&W, as are a good deal of the photos I've won awards for. Whenever I'm working on a project that I just can't seem to get right, a B&W conversion often helps find the problem for a re-shoot.

What you say makes sense to me. I think I want to investigate it more. What you said here intrigues me:

AH said:

Whenever I'm working on a project that I just can't seem to get right, a B&W conversion often helps find the problem for a re-shoot.

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So, it's not just a matter of taking your color shots and converting them to black and white (grayscale) in Lightroom, or other, you frame a shot for black and white?

Yes, you set your camera to black and white. For good examples of B&W photography, there is a section on Facebook that deals strictly with Street Photography, the widest used forum for B&W imagery. https://www.facebook.com/groups/CandidStreetPhotography/. Check it out. Some amazing photographs there that show the power of black and white.

Ripeart said:

So, it's not just a matter of taking your color shots and converting them to black and white (grayscale) in Lightroom, or other, you frame a shot for black and white?

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I always shoot in color and convert to B&W. You can't shoot in B&W and convert to color. What I mean is, when you're trying to convey a certain feeling or message, color can often just get in the way. By taking a second look in B&W, it helps to figure out what is at the very heart of your photograph.

For example, for the previously mentioned B&W flower challenge, the idea was to capture the beauty of a flower without color. Here is the original version of my submission:





And the B&W conversion:





The difference is subtle, but during the conversion, I paid very close attention to even the slightest variation in tones to really bring out the detail in each and every petal. You can't see that kind of detail in color. The same can be said of just about any composition. By removing color, you can really get to what lies at the core of your photography to better convey your message.

...at least in my opinion.

That's great, thank you for your insights; very inspiring.