Color or Black and White? How I Choose Between the Two

Color or Black and White? How I Choose Between the Two

So you’ve taken a great image and are ready to edit it. There are so many options! The first question that usually comes to mind is, “should this be a color or a black and white”? Some answers come easily because it has a cool background that would be neat in a black and white, but sometimes it comes down to emotion.

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The left is the color original to compare with the black and white.

I decided to take a few images of Beila to highlight a black and white vs color option. The left is the color image and the right is the black and white. I do feel that these images lend to be moodier and darker so black and white is certainly a strong contender!

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You can also pump up the colors and different finishes to play with moods.

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Color vs Dark Contrast B&W

I sometimes love a dark contrast like the image on the right.

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Three different finishes. It is all about your mood.
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Giggle versions

Which do you think shows the emotion better? Which conveys the mood that the giggle gives the viewer?

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Versions

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skyryder photography blacksburg wedding engagement photographer blacksburg vt virginia tech roanoke charlottesville radford lexington

skyryder photography blacksburg wedding engagement photographer blacksburg vt virginia tech roanoke charlottesville radford lexington
Color Version

Color is sometimes a great finish. This image is my favorite of this series. I like the color but what about black and white?

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This black and white is good, but it isn’t enough to convey the mood I wanted. I would like this to be a dark contrasted image because her eye needs to be a strong focal point.

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Deep, Dark, Moody.

This is my absolute favorite finish for this image. It conveys the mood, the feeling. This is the version I would share. I might even need to frame this one!