Weekly Poll: Colour or B&W Portraits

[Nicole]

We've had a few weekly polls that deal with B&W photography, but this week I'm curious if you prefer colour or B&W portraits (or which you take more of). Feel free to post an example of your favourite kind (as long as it's your own) and tell us why you like it.

If you have any hints or tips for either colour portraits or B&W portraits, why not share those too?

For example, one thing that I've played around with a bit is again using B&W conversion layers over the colour picture and setting the blending mode to something else. Just like how a B&W picture with a red filter can give very light skin, using that filter and changing the blending mode, can help lighten up things like dark circles under the and give a smoother overall look, but it also darkens some of the other colours.

[RexK_Cozumel]

Hard to tell I like both color and black and white portraits. some shots just look better in one vs the other. I voted for color because I take all my shots in color. Convert to black and white later on in post if I feel it needs that.

[dimitrz]

Though voted for B&W by error my preference is for Colour.

Isnt it this colour which makes our world a beautiful place. Only thing which seprates Earth from other planets is its rich flora & funa - which is nothing but colour.

Though B&W photos are good in their own right - it can never match the sense of wonder, beauty or joy at seeing a colourful photograph showing life right after a heavy rainfall. or a rose with dew drops on it or the different colours of a mountain stram

Cheers

[Japaslavian]

Both color and B&W portraits have their own moods and feelings to them are really more specific to the certain image. B&W look great when there is high contrast and not much to focus on. But turning that around, I wouldn't want to convert a portrait of someone lying down in a colorful flower bed.
It's all about context.

[Mr Guy]

Where's the "It Depends" option?

In my experience, B&W is a lot more forgiving than color, so I'm always much prouder of the color portraits that come out well. I end up converting to B&W when the expression is too good to lose but the exposure or color is off and I just can't figure out how to fix it.

And that's not going into the times where I just feel like B&W expresses the situation better. Some things just work better in black and white, even with faked grain.

[windrider86]

For the most part I like the black and whites. They have that simplicity to them that make them more apealing. To me anyway.
However, with that being said there are pictures that must be in color to convey thier own statement

[richb14]

It is a tough question as it could also depend on the photo itself I guess. Some will work in B&W and some may work better in color. I can't vote as I'd have to say 50/50 on this one.



richb

[Nicole]

I'll say it again for those who weren't around at the start of these polls, there are never any "it depends" or middle of the road answers. Imagine it as a theoretical question. Even if it's 50.1% to 49.9% if you just had to come down on which kind of thing you like more often, pick one They're not meant to be easy questions

Middle of the road answers will always win out otherwise. lol

Anyways, me personally, while I often like desaturated colours, more often than not I really like how B&W portraits come out. As windrider said, it's the simplicity about them that draws me to them. I probably shoot more colour, but I really like a well executed B&W.

[tkcom]

I prefer B&W ala Yousuf Karsh. Churchill in colour just isn't as powerful.

[moi]

Black and white..............more opportunity to use light and shadows so more powerful/subtle.