During a recent photo walk I was leading in Antigua Guatemala, I decided to shoot a portrait in black and white to show the suggested framing for this fantastic instagrammable spot.
When I showed it the group, one of the photography enthusiasts asked me when to know to shoot in black and white or when to edit an image into a black and white picture. I said that my personal guidelines are: whenever the environment is monochromatic; a black and white image works out quite well. Also, if there’s something in color that causes the focus to be lost or visual noise, then a black and white might be a good option. Lastly, for aesthetic reasons, as many street photographer prefer to share their pictures in black and white, even though many of them still shoot in color in RAW format. In this photograph, I also wanted a more dramatic image to show the different forms and lines in the frame.
What other reasons or approaches do you have for sharing your photographs in black and white?
