Saturday, September 5, 2009

Black and White vs. Color Redux

Piney Point Waterfront-2
In prior posts, I discussed my rules of thumb for choosing to process a photograph as  black and white or color (with a clear bias toward black and white – see Why black and White'; Distracting Color, Why Black and White, insufficient Color Information.)
Piney Point Waterfront
Over the last couple of weeks I was deeply engaged and nearly exclusively experimenting with high dynamic range (HDR) photography.  The shots of Southern Maryland waterfront featured in this post are all HDR.  Soon, I will be writing about my experiences of wrestling with HDR.  In the mean time, I found several instances of being challenged with choosing between b/w and color. 
Saint Georges Waterfront-6-2
Normally, I follow my rules of thumb – the decision is clear and easy.  But I ran into several instances that did not fit well and really challenged me.  In fact, I went way out side the rules and asked my wife for her opinion.
Saint Georges Waterfront-6
Having asked my wife, I thought it would only be fair to ask you.  So I am actively asking for your opinion and critique of these photographs.  Comment, or send me an e-mail.  I want to know your opinion.  B/W or color?
Go make some great photography!
Craig

1 comment:

  1. Ok so I'm super-late with my input, but here it is:
    I think the first one should be in color in order to showcase the color of the clouds in the background. I think the second one should be in black and white because the colors are too vivid and take away from the serenity of the scene.

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