Shooting in Color to make Black and White images

[keethjon]

I have been reading that using your cameras black and white mode is not good. I was wondering if you all could clarify some things for me.

1. If you take the picture in color there is more digital information available for editing the black and white image once it is converted. Is that true?

2. I also read that even when you use the camera black and white mode, all the color information is still stored in the camera. If that is the case, why bother shooting in color instead of black and white.

3. If someone is not interested in doing a lot of post processing and tries to get it right the first time, why is it so bad to use the black and white mode?

Thanks in advance for your feedback
Keith

 

[Solarflare]

1. Our ancestors had to use physical color filters to improve their black and white photographs ... we can now be much more flexible with Photoshop etc, even applying filters only in certain areas as we see fit etc.

2. This is only true if you shoot raw. The JPEG will be processed how you have specified it. Except Leica has the Leica M Monochrome where the sensor indeed has no filter array to produce color information and the full 18 Megapixel of the sensor are indeed available. Again, for special effects, you will have to use physical color filters on the Leica M Monochrome.

3. Well, photography is art. How you work is your choice. I would like to point out though that JPEG is a very limited file format and much of the original information will be gone if you only shoot JPEGs. But yeah, thats your choice.

 

[CallibCarver]

I'm a huge B&W fan, and the only reason I don't shoot in B&W is because, what if I want a color version of this photo? If all I have is the B&W, you are out of luck, not that their aren't ways you could go through and create a colored version, but that takes time and isn't as good.

Plus in my experience I feel that capturing in color, then editing the photo into black and white gives me more control over certain things, for example if I want to play with colors to make parts sand out better.

 

[480sparky]

 

[KmH]

1. The camera's black and white mode simply desaturates the colors. Consequently the photos lack contrast and tonal range, and are in the JPEG file type. JPEG is limited to an 8-bit tone depth.

2. As mentioned only a Raw file retains all the color information.

3. See #1.

When shooting B&W film, photographers used colored filters on the lens to ehance contrast, were careful about film choice for contrast response, were picky about what developing solutions they used to develope the film, and carefuly chose what paper they used to makes prints based on the range of contrast each paper was able to produce.
None of that counts the image editing they did when making a print, like dodge and burn, or applying an unsharp mask.

Making a good B&W image is way tougher than what the camera's monotone/B&W setting can do all on it's own. In fact, making a really good B&W image requires a lot more knowledge of photography, color, editing, and light than many realize.

 

[rokvi]

What you can do is, set your camera to shoot both RAW and JPEG in BW mode. The JPEG will be in BW but the RAW will stay in colour! So afterwards you can change to BW in PP and have some fun playing with the colour sliders to create some interesting scenes!
In this one I was able to have a lot more control over how every colour came out, to give it more tonal range.

 

[Ysarex]

1. Our ancestors had to use physical color filters to improve their black and white photographs....

Ancestors!? Hey, I'm still here. I mean, I know my time is growing short and all, but can you wait till I'm gone first before calling me an ancestor?

Joe

P.S. And I still have some of those filters.

 

[Derrel]

Yes, another vote for setting the camera to shoot in RAW + JPEG, black & white mode...the JPEG images the camera creates will be B&W. The RAW files however, will have all of the color information in them. This way, when photographing, you are shown a B&W image on the camera's LCD< and you can evaluate the images AS THEY WILL EVENTUALLY BE SEEN--as B&W shots!!! B&W images often benefit from different lighting than color images do.

 

[Ysarex]

3. If someone is not interested in doing a lot of post processing and tries to get it right the first time, why is it so bad to use the black and white mode?

If you don't do the post processing you can't get it "right." The software in the camera that produces the end result JPEG doesn't get it "right." Camera image processors work well enough now to satisfy a lot of people who have low standards, and are unfamiliar with how it should look when it's "right." If you think you can coax "right" out of a camera JPEG engine, especially in B&W, you've already made a wrong turn.

Joe

 

[Ysarex]

Yes, another vote for setting the camera to shoot in RAW + JPEG, black & white mode...the JPEG images the camera creates will be B&W. The RAW files however, will have all of the color information in them. This way, when photographing, you are shown a B&W image on the camera's LCD< and you can evaluate the images AS THEY WILL EVENTUALLY BE SEEN--as B&W shots!!! B&W images often benefit from different lighting than color images do.

Now you're telling me I have to keep my filters, Derrel! Oh oh? What's that color raw file going to look like shot through my #15?

Joe

 

[Derrel]

"Put on a K2, Joe!"

"Hey, do you have a #25 red with you in 77 that I could borrow for a few frames?"

"Did you leave the orange filter on the 35mm?"

"Damn! I wish I had some ortho film with me!"

 

[480sparky]

Now you're telling me I have to keep my filters, Derrel! ....

No.... you can simulate filters in post.

 

[tevo]

"Put on a K2, Joe!"

"Hey, do you have a #25 red with you in 77 that I could borrow for a few frames?"

"Did you leave the orange filter on the 35mm?"

"Damn! I wish I had some ortho film with me!"

As a 17 year old photographer who has not shot film (or digital, really..) extensively,


WAT?

 

[Sw1tchFX]

I just got done shooting a wedding tonight. I shot with three cameras: Contax 645, Nikon F100, and a Nikon D700. My assistant shot with a D700 as well. The entire night I had the D700 set to black and white. Why? Because when you take color out of the equation, you quickly can evaluate tone, lighting, and composition. Color is a distraction. And with the Film cameras...well you just get it right the first time.

 

[480sparky]

"Put on a K2, Joe!"

"Hey, do you have a #25 red with you in 77 that I could borrow for a few frames?"

"Did you leave the orange filter on the 35mm?"

"Damn! I wish I had some ortho film with me!"

As a 17 year old photographer who has not shot film (or digital, really..) extensively,


WAT?

Color filters don't seem to have an apparent method to their numbering system.