Black and White or Color
As a photographer, I am in a constant state of disagreement with myself over whether I should be shooting in black and white or color. I simply love black and white and, in most cases, I prefer it over color. However, there are certainly those situations where it is the color in a scene that demands attention. And, when that’s true, it’s difficult to imagine the final image in anything but color. Luckily, in this digital age, if you’re shooting in RAW (which you should be)- and unless you’re shooting on something like a Leica monochrome sensor- your image will be captured in color and you can then convert it to B&W in the post editing process. So, you can put off any final decision about what best suits the image until then. There is also the option with most cameras to shoot both a RAW color image and a second JPG black and white image simultaneously. The JPG image can be used right out of the camera with no post processing, if desired. That way you have both a color and B&W copy of the same scene. And, with the JPG image you can usually apply in camera presets to get exactly the tone and look of the B&W image that you like. However, you can get a much finer black and white image by converting a RAW color image to B&W in post as there are many presets, LUTS, and monochrome profiles available in Lightroom and Photoshop and some amazing software like NIK Silver Efex which not only provides in depth black and white adjustments but also allows you to emulate black and white film stock like Kodak, Iford and Fujifilm.
Black and white photos are especially prevalent in street photography. They provide a classic look that harkens back to photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Vivian Maier who were early pioneers in the genre. Black and white can also be stunning in street photography when you’re trying to emphasize contrasting shadows and light, geometric forms, shapes or textures. See for example the work of Alan Schaller www.instagram.com/alan_schaller and Mark Fearnley www.instagram.com/mark.fearnley
But, even in my street photography work, there are times, at least for me, where color makes more sense than black and white. For example, if I’m trying to convey an emotion of warmth, as in the couple of scenes in the attached video that were shot through windows into the warm and cozy environment of a coffee shop. Or, when I encounter an especially pleasing color like the aqua-colored guitar body in the video. And, there are certain scenes where a creative color grade can elicit an emotional response that a black and white image never could.
I know many photographers who never shoot color and many who would never shoot black and white. It all depends on personal taste. For me, instead of feeling forced into one camp or the other, I usually leave it to the image to dictate how it should be processed.
Shot in Portsmouth, NH
