Color vs Black & White

How do you "feel" when you view a black and white photo? For many people they are drawn to the absence of what is not there, what the eye cannot see. Our minds may try to perceive the colors of what was in the original scene, but it cannot. 

Black and white photography is actually images that are a combination of shades of gray. "In the beginning" of the development of photography, print "color" were developed in sepia for archival stability. If you have ever viewed an original sepia print, you would have noticed richer and more subtle shading. The "shades" of sepia or black and white often evokes more emotion of "nostalgia" or of something historic than a photo of color. 

I have rarely taken shots in black and white mode in my camera. I find it more useful to shoot in color and then convert to black and white. For one, it's a nuisance to switch the setting to black and white, when in the next image I may want to shoot in color. Also, color seems to give a greater depth to the converted black and white or sepia shots. 

Most photo programs have the ability to convert color images to black and white. In Adobe Element 9, the photo program that I use most, a couple of selections are chosen and the color is gone and a black and white image is born! At that point I experiment with brightness and contrast, highlights and shadows to create a black and white masterpiece! Give it a try, you can do it, too.