[guerito]

What sort of pictures are better in black and white? I've seen comments like "This would be nice in B&W" for a variety of pictures. Is there something like a rule of thumb? Thanks!

[Toad]

I don't think that people are ignoring this question, guerito...I just am not sure that there is a good rule of thumb for using B&W.

I suppose that shots that are based on interplay of light and shadows, that are textural, and that do not have dramatic color would be good candidates. A lot of times, a good photo looks good in both color and B&W.

[shuttertalk]

I agree with Toad... something with interesting textures and grain, and contrasts between light and dark i.e. black and white. Sometimes an ordinary colour picture can turn out beautifully in B&W. Sometimes it's just pure chance and experimentation.

In a way, shooting digital sometimes somewhat different - in the old days, you had to intentionally drop in a roll of B&W film to produce B&W pictures. Now you can shoot in colour and choose to convert after. Best of both worlds, but I guess it makes it harder to decide when to convert.

I've actually got a book on black and white photography... let me read it again and see if I can find some tips.

[slejhamer]

Once in a while Kodak is good for something:

Click here: What works in B&W

[Cailean]

I like B&W because it offers a new perspective... a way of seeing things that we can never achieve with our own eye - unless you're REALLY colour-blind!

I find that many colour images are bland because the subject is presented in the same way we would see it ourselves - in colour. B&W allows the eye to be drawn to nuances of light & form that are often lost in the barrage of colour.

[guerito]

I think I got the basic idea. I will browse through my pics and make a few experiments. Although I think for really good results one has to plan the shot already to be B&W.

Thanks!

[Cailean]

One thing that I have found that helps make B&W really stand out is to over-saturate the photo before converting. I have found that straight conversions are rather bland, but the over-saturation can improve contrast without a loss of detail - although you do end up with a tad grainier image. (Does that make any sense?) The graininess can sometimes be mitigated by applying a very slight Guassian blur to the image before the over-saturation. This eliminates individual pixels of colour from appearing as brighter white specks in the final image.

Again, this is just what I've found through experimentation oover that couple of weeks or so - IT IS NOT A PROFESSIONAL OPINION OR TUTORIAL!!!

[peter]

I find that black and white is good for portrait photos if you take the photo with all the levels wrong... i find that if the lighting is really bad and i want to correct it .. often the colours go out of whack when you try to adjust levels and contrast/saturation... dince in black and white there is not distinction between colours.. it makes it much easier to fix up photos with bad lighting (even though i should get it right the first time if im doing it properly)...