Ages ago when I was young and starting out with photography, I used black and white almost exclusively. It was an economic choice, not esthetic. I could buy black and white film cheaply in bulk and do my own processing, which reduced cost substantially.
In today’s digital world I still photograph in black and white, but not exclusively and it’s not an economic choice anymore. Almost every modern digital camera has a black and white mode. And since I shoot in RAW format, I can experiment and choose what my final output will look like long after I press the shutter. There are many reasons to shoot black and white, but here are a couple you may want to think about:
1. Emphasize / reveal different things about a subject
The Lightroom B&W panel has sliders for 8 different colors. Converting from RAW can provide a lot more control than choosing the default B&W mode in your camera. When processing this photo, I used this to bring out detail and texture in the Osprey’s feathers, brighten its eye, and darken the sky background.
Here’s a before and after that compares the color and black and white versions. Which do you like?
2. Control harsh light and colors
I like both wildlife and landscape photography. Light is best for landscapes during the golden hours around sunrise and sunset and can be very harsh in the middle of the day. Black and white can help you control this and make a good photo even when the light is harsh. I mostly use my infrared converted camera in black and white mode for this, but a regular camera can also work. Here’s an example of some harsh mid-morning light that I think works well in IR/B&W:
You can see more of my B&W photos in this album on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/edrosack/albums/72157625316775091
If you’re looking for an interesting pandemic project, take a look at your image catalog and try converting some to B&W. You might discover many reasons for black and white photography!
Thank you for stopping by and reading my blog. Hang in there and take care of each other. And if you can – make some (B&W) photos!
©2020, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved
Terrific advice on at least trying B&W treatment to see what effect it creates. My early experience mirrors yours, Ed. Relatively cheap film and a patient tutor on how to process photos helped me better understand light.
As to which Osprey image I like better. No contest. Both. (I know, I cheat.) The color rendition is pleasing because that’s the fish hawk I grew up with. In black and white, I immediately notice the texture of the feathers, the subtle shades of blacks, grays, whites – it’s more art than mere image as it evokes more emotion within me.
A couple thousand images into the backlog during the past week! Lots of Lightroom time coming up …….
Stay cool!
You’re full of kind words, Wally – Thank you!
I’ll look forward to seeing some of your image backlog soon on your blog.
Ed
Wonderful article Ed!!! Excellent Web Site!!!
Thank you Samuel, and thanks for reading!