Shoot black and white or convert to black and white?

scottduffy

scottduffy

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Scott
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Hi Guys,

I was wondering as a total novice to editing whether the file would look nicer shot in b&w or converted to b&w? I know if you shoot b&w you can't convert it to colour (I think that's right) and I was just wondering since I much prefer black and white portraits should I simply shoot them in b&w instead?

Regards

Scott
 
For street photography I always shoot in colour and convert to B&W if I feel it is appropriate.:)
 
StephenM said:
use black and white film. If digital, use the raw.
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+1

B&W films have up to twelve tones in general,
Ilford's XP1 goes to 31 with it's C41 approach.
RAW has 256! …that alone should be argument enough
 
Cheers guys. Forgot about this thread. It's digital by the way.
 
I doubt if you could tell the difference in the results between the 2 ways of going about it.

Some people like shooting in monochrome, as seeing the image in monochrome in the EVF helps visualise the result.

As a novice, this is your first assignment. Try both ways, and let us know which you prefer now, and later as you progress.
 
ianp5a said:
I doubt if you could tell the difference in the results between the 2 ways of going about it.
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This is a fair assumption Ian but not entirely correct.

True is that B&W film is far more luminance than chrominance
sensible, up to here you are perfectly right! To "cheat" or influence
the B&W captures, the use of filters was a well known practice
even in B&W infrared photography,

Digital changes all that in a wonderful way. As the recorded data
contains them both, all the luminance and chrominance values, it
is simpler AND more precise, versatile, flexible, and practical than
ever. to use the luminance sliders and the 6 chrominance channels
to achieve more, far more, control and apply effects to an image.

I always shoot in colour (digital) even when the rendition is planed
in monochrome.
 
Ian, I'd accept that you are correct if both photographers accept what either the camera or convert to greyscale (or whatever) gives them. But if the photographer shooting in black and white doesn't use colour contrast filters, and the photographer shooting in colour makes use of "filtering" in post process there could be a considerable difference. To (almost) level the playing field, the one shooting in black and white would need to use colour contrast filters if the colour shooter was prepared to make an effort to get the best mono result - and even then the colour shooter has a potential advantage in having greater and more precise control.

Depends on whether you define "black and white" as simply "absence of colour" or "controlled use of tones".
 
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