B+W Vs. Colour - Your Opinion

[Eventer]

Your opinion - A Photography scholarship requirment is to do a 8 page work book for my photos (Displayed on 3 A1 Boards) And one page has to be on weather I choose black and white or colour photo? I've chosen but i want to see what your opinion is and why? i have to write a whole lot about it aswell, So what are the pro and cons of colour/ B+W

 

[KenC]

First, I have to say that they have too much contrast for my taste, especially the first two. Sometimes that is the point, and this may have been the case with the first, where the horse/rider are coming out of a dark area, but even there a little more detail in the top part of the image would have been better.

Re color vs. bw, a big question is what you want the viewer to look at and whether color or bw better concentrates their attention . In the first one, color makes the subject stand out from the background better, which appears to be what you want there. Conversely, the third one appears to compare the shape and texture of the rider and horse, which I think works better in bw where the color difference is not a factor. It's also good that the bw has a darker background. The same factors may favor the bw in the second one also but the rider's boot being cut off really detracts in either case. In the last one I don't think it matters whether you use color or bw.

 

[Browncoat]

I've had to write an essay on this very topic before. You need to explore the concept of "less is more" and expand on it.

 

[Robin Usagani]

Here are my picks. But I do think you need to contrast it more when you use B&W.

 

[Eventer]

Ahh yup I was "over photoshopping" the first one for the sake opf it, ans like you Schwettylens thats the only colou one I like.

Ive decied to go B+W for the whole boards - as i feel they dont NEED colour (Like the attire oft eh rider and horse is either BLACK or WHITE - the only colour is the actualy horse, which is brown lol - not very interesting! Also i think the horse clashes colourwise with the wall of the arena