Why we choose to convert a photo to black + white
There are only 2 reasons that we choose to make an image black and white. Quite frankly nothing monumental goes into it. Either we really like the contrast and sometimes black and white adds another dimension to that contrast. The other? we made a mistake. But how so you may ask. Easy. We had a hard time with the color correction either in camera or out of camera. We then think I really like this image. BAM…black and white.
I know that you were looking for a more artistic answer but that’s the truth. You may run into someone who only shoots in black and white and that is the only exception. Let’s just say you are in a room that has a weird lighting mix and you cannot figure it out. But you really love that column, window and door combo. Shoot it and make it black and white. You are the artist and do not need to explain yourself, unless you want to.
There was a time in the not to distant past when we had this stuff called film. Our only option was to use film in our cameras in order to get pictures. Now times have changed, some say for the better. But for me as a teenager going to the store and grabbing a roll of black and white film was great. I could only afford that roll of black and white with 24 images ready to be captured with your camera. From time to time I purchase a roll to or two and shoot on the old camera. I even develop it myself.
I feel for me that I scratch that black and white itch with film. Perhaps that’s why I think that only 10% of my images are black and white. It may have been more even if we could see in both black and white as well as color. But we can’t, although I’m sure someone at Apple is working on it.
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