Chinese chess player, BW or colors ?

[woods]

Hi there.

I took this photo of a chinese man playing chinese chess in Lijiang old town (in Yunnan province, southwest China). I just corrected exposition in LR and sharpened it.


Camera: Canon EOS 400D Digital
Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/800)
Aperture: f/1.8
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire

I then wondered how it would look like in BW. I also added a little more contrast.



But now I don't know which one gives the best result

So, which one looks better ? I would also like to hear what you think about the post processing, can I improve anything ?

Thanks for you time.

[lputman]

In this case, I prefer the color version. The tones a somewhat muted and I think that really lends to the overall feel of the photograph.

[Hartzler]

I think the chess player looks good in black and white (as well as color), but the chess pieces themselves lose detail in the conversion. You might consider desaturating the color image a bit just to see how it looks. But as done, I would go with the color version. Beautiful shot in any event.

[willbrawn]

I prefer the black and white myself, adds a little more feeling to the image.

[Gonzo13]

I like the color version better. My eye keeps going to his jacket which draws it down to the chess pieces. In the B&W my eye isn't drawn to anything in particular. If you are set on the B&W one I would up the contrast some more, but that is just my opinion. Nice capture.

[woods]

Originally Posted by Hartzler

I think the chess player looks good in black and white (as well as color), but the chess pieces themselves lose detail in the conversion. You might consider desaturating the color image a bit just to see how it looks. But as done, I would go with the color version. Beautiful shot in any event.

You're right, the color of the board and the pieces are interesting. It's a pity to remove them.

[woods]

Originally Posted by Gonzo13

I like the color version better. My eye keeps going to his jacket which draws it down to the chess pieces. In the B&W my eye isn't drawn to anything in particular. If you are set on the B&W one I would up the contrast some more, but that is just my opinion. Nice capture.

Yes, after looking at the 2 shots a little longer, the BW one seems not to catch the eye as much as the original.

Thank you

[Sterling]

Definitely the color one. The reddish colors of the jacket, background fabric, walls, and chess pieces really help to draw the eye down to the chess board. With the b&w, the eye tends to search around more looking for the points of interest.