One of my first attempts to B&W

[Nicola]

I like every version of this photo in this thread!
Have you posted this photo before?

Thanks Brian!
I really appreciate!!
It is the first time and the only place I have posted this picture

[Nicola]

As I wrote at the top of this thread,
happened two times that I see the scene in B&W before capturing it.
below is shown the second time result
I think it is a less interesting view than the previous.. isn't it?
a tighter crop? more contrast?

[lizzy310]

Do you all shoot in black and white or do you do it post processing? I love this. It looks lonely, a bit sad...and the shadows and angles are really cool. I was talking about the first one. #2 is interesting too, but #1 is really nice.

[Donald]

Do you all shoot in black and white or do you do it post processing?

Liz

Once you start shooting in RAW, you've sort-of got to forget about the concept of shooting 'in' either colour of B & W. Because what you are doing (all you are doing) is digitally capturing data that you are going to process and finish later in a digital darkroom (aka a computer). And that is when you make your colour or your B & W image.

The digital data you capture includes all the colour information. So, it's there if you want it. So, the crude answer is - Yes, you're going to have to make the B & W in post-processing.

A much more interesting question is whether you go down the road of shooting an interesting scene and then deciding later whether to make it into a colour or a B & W image, or do you train yourself to 'see' in B & W and when you shoot the photograph you know you are doing so in order to make a B & W image. That's what's Nicola is referring to above when he's writing about 'seeing' the B & W image.

Most people, I think, do the former. But it's a wonderful journey to go on the latter route. And you end up believing that there are things you shoot for the purpose of making a colour image and things your shoot for the purpose of making a B & W ... and they are very different.

And that is why, as I've written on here before, I will never make a colour version of something I shot to be B & W, or vice-versa. The decision is made at time of capture. If it doesn't then work out, I will not try 'the other option'. I would consider that cheating on myself ... and anyone else who might view the image. If it doesn't work as intended, then it's binned. A warped way of thinking perhaps, but it's part of the discipline I impose upon myself when making images.

[Peter Ryan]

Nice work Nicola and good vision to see and capture this shot.