B&W or Colour?

Many years ago, black and white was the norm and colour photos were non-existent. Then came colours and many celebrated. In this time, there are many who revert back to B&W in their picts for a "different" look.

Why use B&W when there are colours? Wouldn't colours be more exciting in a picture? What is the purpose of photographers who take B&W photos rather than coloured ones when they can do so?

Please share you ideas. Thank you.

[ckiang]

Quote: Originally posted by Megadark Many years ago, black and white was the norm and colour photos were non-existent. Then came colours and many celebrated. In this time, there are many who revert back to B&W in their picts for a "different" look. Why use B&W when there are colours? Wouldn't colours be more exciting in a picture? What is the purpose of photographers who take B&W photos rather than coloured ones when they can do so? Please share you ideas. Thank you.

In B&W, you focus on the emotion, the form, the mood, etc of the pic, without letting potentially distracting colours come into play. Without such distracting elements, the viewer will automatically be led to focus on the said aspects.

Of course, not everything is suitable to be rendered in B&W; likewise, not everything is suitable to be shot in colour.

Regards
CK

Thank you CK. Can you show me some illustrations? Your help is very much appreciated.

[eadwine]

personal opinion...
i think black and white photos are nicer then coloured ones...
cos it gives u more imagination...errmm get what i mean.?

[ckiang]

Quote: Originally posted by Megadark Thank you CK. Can you show me some illustrations? Your help is very much appreciated.

I don't really have any illustrations as I've not done B&W for ages already.

Regards
CK

[StreetShooter]

Thanks for the links. I especially enjoyed photosbykathryn.

Basically the argument for black and white, as mentioned earlier, is to remove distractions caused by colours, so that you focus on the human emotion.

I honestly can't therefore understand B&W nature and landscape photography, except that it reduces shapes and forms to abstractions, purifying them. Many times, what you see in nature isn't perfect. Colours may be blotchy or distracting. Leaves have brown edges, rock surfaces have flaws. Reducing them to B&W brings the images nearer to perfection, by removing these imperfections, I guess.

Technically speaking, B&W offers many attractions. No need to worry about colour rendition or white balance. Decreased dynamic range usually makes a picture more attractive, not less so, by more clearly defining the subject. Noise is a plus, not a minus, since the grainy effect is sought by many.

[siron]

Depends on each's liking...some pic look nicer in B&W...