You will probably notice that I am inconsistent when it comes to choosing which format to use.
For the most part I shoot in RAW, and in black and white, which means that I can see the balance of light more clearly when I am shooting. As the image files are in RAW I can then choose whether to keep them in black and white, or use the colour version, as RAW keeps all the data required for both.
There are a few advantages to black & white.
- If the scene is a mess of colours, black and white is much easier on the eye, there’s less conflicting colours competing for your attention.
- Black & white has a timeless quality.
- Black & white can turn a cheap image (such a pornographic image) into something much more stylish. While the colour version may be explicit, in black and white it’s more about lines, shapes, and shadows.
- If you are colour blind (I am slightly colour blind!) then balancing colours can be tricky, obviously in B&W that’s not an issue!
- If for example the model was against a horrible brown wall which looks ugly in colour, turning it into B&W can hide that problem.
On the other hand, colour has it’s advantages too…
- If you are dealing with things like rich sunsets, then that is lost in B&W.
- If a model has gorgeous skin tones, or a beautiful skin colour (like Asian models) it can be a shame to lose that in black & white.
- If you are aiming for a more glamour style, then colour gives you the rich image you’d expect.
- If you have control over the scene, and there’s only a few elements, such as white sheets and the model, then colour can work better as there’s less competition for your attention, and a nicer overall balance.
While most photographers rightly say you need to pick which one you are aiming for when you shoot, I must admit that I don’t do that as much, I take the shots and then see what works best when I get into editing them.