Black & White vs Color

[Mark_48]

I've occasionally converted a few wedding and reception images to black & white for a photojournalism feel. I seem to find most B&G's don't really care all that much for B&W and generally prefer color versions. Does anyone else find B&W isn't all the popular or is it more a matter of the style of the image that makes it work?

[35mm]

I find most B&W shots these days a lot brighter than the 'olden days' :)

[kampphoto]

I've occasionally converted a few wedding and reception images to black & white for a photojournalism feel. I seem to find most B&G's don't really care all that much for B&W and generally prefer color versions. Does anyone else find B&W isn't all the popular or is it more a matter of the style of the image that makes it work?

Sorry if I sound like an ass... but it may be because the B & G are out of focus, and the folks in the back ground are in focus, in the shot you posted.

Personally I've seen it go both ways, half the people i deal with love B&W's and the other half only want a couple. Depends on the couple mostly.

[PIXI_666]

Well...i can't say anyone has minded me giving B&W versions because i also let them know these are the ones i picked that work better in B&W, but colour versions ARE available - majority is they stick with whatever i have done.
Del

[Su-Hannie]

I found that B&W work better in portraits of them, not reception photo's Most of the couples that have come to see me, really like sephia and B&W work. (I never convert any reception photo's ) well maybe of the first dance...

[tim]

B&W doesn't work when you blast the cr** out of them with your flash, you need off camera light or natural light, so the tones show shape. Focusing is also a good trick to learn. Also learn when to tilt the camera.

[krista]

I am a b&w fan and this is what most of my shots are on my website. So this is what b&g's expect and know me for. B&G's will expect from you what you advertise or show in your portfolio and/or website.

[bpuppy]

Going to B&W is not an arbitrary choice for me ... I do it when the colours in the background (blurred because I like shallow DOF) are distracting or not complementary to the scene ... most often this is for the getting ready part of the day. In fact I put the camera on B&W mode for this (I shoot RAW so this only affects what I see as I'm shooting)

But for ceremony and reception shots I usually do colour because often the colour palette of the photo is pretty limited to whites, blacks, skintones and tungsten yellow.

[Mark_48]

Sorry if I sound like an ass... but it may be because the B & G are out of focus, and the folks in the back ground are in focus, in the shot you posted.

Oops:o I hastily grabbed the wrong shot to post and did even a hastier BW conversion to it without noticing that it was indeed not focused where intended (I feel like the three letter reference you used). For whatever reason that I've got to figure out, the lens/camera was focus hunting quite a bit and a few of the shots did not focus.

B&W doesn't work when you blast the cr** out of them with your flash, you need off camera light or natural light, so the tones show shape. Focusing is also a good trick to learn. Also learn when to tilt the camera.
The flash was off camera as mounted on a bracket with an Omnibounce and nowhere to bounce.... The tilt was something done in PS, the original shot was level. Experimenting.....

I found that B&W work better in portraits of them, not reception photo's Most of the couples that have come to see me, really like sephia and B&W work. (I never convert any reception photo's ) well maybe of the first dance...
Any opinions on this one?

[kampphoto]

Thats for sure a better shot. It would have been better without the guy (the groom i assume) in the background since you can't hardly see him anyways.

[Su-Hannie]

Much better, I like the guy (groom) darker, he's there to tell the story, but not the main part of the pic. He is an onlooker at the bride looking at herself in a mirror (I hope it's a mirror on the right and not a window :) )

[Mark_48]

Much better, I like the guy (groom) darker, he's there to tell the story, but not the main part of the pic. He is an onlooker at the bride looking at herself in a mirror (I hope it's a mirror on the right and not a window :) )
It is a window and it is providing the light.

[picturecrazy]

I do a lot of BW conversions, but only if it ADDS to the photo. There is no point doing it if it doesn't do anything to enhance the mood or emotion of the shot. I usually know right when I'm taking the pic whether it's a candidate for BW conversion or not.

It's pointless to convert them arbitrarily 'just because you can'.

[mackiee]

I use a Canon Power Shot S400 and use the Canon i80 printer which makes stunning color photos. This may sound dumb but I can't figure out how to make a b&w print from a color photo I have already taken...any help would be greatly appreciated

[song4themoon]

I did notice that non of my clients yet ordered the b&w images... only color. Which really surprised me because if you ask around you will hear people say they like b&w

[Mark_48]

I use a Canon Power Shot S400 and use the Canon i80 printer which makes stunning color photos. This may sound dumb but I can't figure out how to make a b&w print from a color photo I have already taken...any help would be greatly appreciated
I assume you have an image editing program such as Adobe Photoshop or Elements. Rather than me attempting to tell you how and confusing you, see if any of these Googled links help ....
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=digital+black++white+adobe+conversion&btnG=Search

I've been using an Adobe plugin from http://www.optikvervelabs.com/ <<(Freebie Alert !!) to achieve B&W and other effects.

[chell]

I just took a booking for next July and when the B and G looked through my work they fell in love with the black and white and sepia images. They are a young funky couple and have asked for all of their shots to be done this way. Maybe its about to have a come back?