B&W vs Colour

[karuna01]

Does a picture looks better in B&W compared to colour or it is just a perception?. I found that B&W "seems" to have a better depth & contrast.

[SusanH1970]

For me, it depends on the photograph. Some look better in color, some just beg for a BW conversion.

[MrCoffee]

Like Susan, I think it depends on the photography and the context. Personally I am always drawn to B&W picture of people, street photography, that type of thing. But other pictures, such as some of the ones I took on memorial day, would have been ruined without the color. (i.e. my sin wearing a flag top hat).

B&W landscapes can be very haunting, contrasty and I love them, but a sunset thru volcanic ash in B&W would not be as impactful as in color.

So.. yeah... what she said

[OsmosisStudios]

Black and white film used to have a lot more range than colour films. Still does, btu it's not as pronounced.

In digital, you can get a bit more range out of a black and white if you really play around with RAW files and your editor and dodge/burn after the fact.