Trying to understand B&W photos

[batch]

I'm trying to understand the mood of b&w photos. For example, it works well on dead trees and derelict buildings to create haunting images, and on other shots, cold and lonely photos. But yet we can use it to enhance the beauty of a child in a portrait. Why is this so, just interested to here your thoughts.

[Gonzo13]

I feel that B&W photographs add a nostalgic feels to some pictures, it can take away colors which can sometimes be distracting, it can also make a picture seem simpler. That's all I can think of right now. Some pictures just look better in B&W.

~Gonzo13

Everyone secretly wants to be Eleni Filini

[dcclark]

B&W really focuses your attention on the light and shadows in the photo, as well as the shapes and composition -- it removes all that distracting color. :P So, if you have really harsh lighting, it will be much more noticeable in a B&W -- that's one of the reason that abandoned, derelict, or decaying things do well in B&W. On the other hand, if you have a child with a really cute face, there's less of the rosy cheeks or funny green grass in the background to distract you. Skin tones will be slightly smoother and more pleasant as well.

That's my take, anyhow.

[Doug Pardee]

Originally Posted by batch

I'm trying to understand the mood of b&w photos. For example, it works well on dead trees and derelict buildings to create haunting images, and on other shots, cold and lonely photos. But yet we can use it to enhance the beauty of a child in a portrait. Why is this so, just interested to here your thoughts.

I think that Michael Freeman has at least one good explanation: "all art is illusion… a photograph as much as a painting is a two-dimensional exercise in triggering perceptual responses… The argument for black-and-white photography is that it makes less attempt than color at being literal." (The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos, p. 126)

Or, more simply stated, B&W is more artistic and less documentary. The implication is that color photos tend to be perceived in a matter-of-fact way. By being less literal than color is, B&W photos are perceived more by the emotions and subconscious.