Color? Or Black & White?

Oftentimes on social media, where people post their photography, on group pages and so forth, I see this common refrain: That refrain is,

“Color?  Or Black & White?” 

“Color?  Or Black & White?”

“Color? Or Black & White?”

I really think this is a question that the photographer must decide for themselves.  This is what I was taught by some of my teachers and mentors:  If the color is what really “makes” the photo, then use color.  If you’re specifically drawn to the image because of shapes or textures, use black & white.  I learned early on that not every photograph translates very well in black & white.  I found that some tones come out too close to each other, so the photo needs to have some contrast to it to really bring out the textures and shapes.  Here’s a couple of examples of some photos I took so you can see what I mean:

The two photos above were taken within a few minutes of each other, and are basically of the same subject, which is the mountainside near Ouray, Colorado in the late afternoon as the sun was getting ready to set.  In the first photo, which is done in color, you can see a very distinct line where the sun was shining it’s golden color on the top of the mountain. 

In the black & white version you can’t see that demarcation line at all.  The textures may be interesting (or not, to some people), but the thing that really catches the eye in this photo is the golden strip of light at the top of the mountains. Since that didn’t come out in the black & white version, I prefer the golden light on the mountain in the color version.

The photo above has enough contrast that it could easily carry a black & white treatment, but I chose to leave it as a color image, because of the warm color of the rocks, which is sort of “heart-like” to me.

Still, some people just love the classic look of black & white photography.  I know I used to love developing it in the darkroom back in the day.  It’s a fun process!  But overall, I like the way my images come out using Lightroom better, which has a great black & white processing function.  There are some subjects that just cry out for black & white, such as old vehicles, and old houses, but it’s still important to make sure the image has enough contrast in it to really carry the black & white treatment.

During the golden hour at Arches National Park, the sandstone arches and fins have enough contrast to go either way.

The above photo has enough contrast to carry black & white, but I chose to leave it in color because dragons breathe fire and they live in places called “the fiery furnace” which is the name of this rock formation in Arches National Park.

I decided to leave this in color as well, because there really isn’t enough contrast to carry black & white. The glowing red rocks may look like a darker strip of rock if done in black & white, but the drama is really in the color I think.

I often like to process bare trees in black & white, because I like to show the textures and contrast.

Some people think that using black & white for their images takes the image one step away from reality, and this is a good thing; a bit more “artsy.”  Some people don’t like it at all for the same reason.  I’m hearing that some galleries won’t even take black & white photography anymore, since it is so difficult to sell.  People who like it, really like it, and those who don’t, don’t. Apparently overall, color sells better. But I’m not ready to give up my black & white images just yet. It’s just a matter of learning which types of images are most favorable to it.

Since it’s so subjective, it’s a good idea to have some kind of criteria that you use consistently to make the determination for yourself, and that’s where the adage I mentioned above comes into play. So, this is how I decide which way to go on any particular image. That said, rules are meant to be broken and the photographer should always have the final say as to which way to go.