Colour or B&W? Off Brick Lane

[dubaiphil]

One of many murals in the Brick Lane area of London. In some respects it's a shame to convert to B&W as the mural loses some impact, but B&W promotes the male passer-by a little more:

[Shadowman]

I prefer the color, the b & w looks a bit too drab and loses the vitality of the colors used in the mural.

[bnnrcn]

I like B&W For me the color one is too complicated with the patterns and colours .

[wmoore]

If it's a photo of the mural stick with colour.
If it's a photo of the man and the mural stick with colour.

[Manfred M]

I'm fighting with a similar issue with an image I captured yesteray; the colour seems too busy, but the B&W doesn't help similify the image in it's usual way, so neither seem to be the solution on its own (and perhaps there is no solution).

Both work reasonably well, but like the others I have a slight preference to the coloured version.

[bnnrcn]

Hi again Phil Why not mixing both images ? I mean, you might as well use the B&W as a base and leave the people and bcycles in color, if your software allows you. Just an idea..

[dubaiphil]

I think I just shuddered, Binnur

[bnnrcn]

There are examples of these kind photos which look fine. But if you didn't like the idea, sorry for making you shudder Phil

I think I just shuddered, Binnur

[thegman]

Phil, I prefer the colour one too, I think the guy stands out more with his pink shirt than he does in the b&w version. I think he is more dominant in the colour version and his gaze sort of directs you to the girl and the bikes. In the b&w one my eyes are drawn to the girl and bikes first?

On a side note on the art, the colour one makes me think of Inca style art whereas the b&w makes me think more of Maori, two good feelings from the same image :-D

[NorthernFocus]

This is a good example for us all to study and to hear others' perspectives. It really points out how differently we see things and what we cue on. In the color version I didn't even notice the man walking. My eye goes immediately to the mural, then the cyclist distracts me. In the B/W, my immediately goes to the man walking, then to the mural, and I don't even notice the cyclist. Interesting.

So, for my own manner of seeing the world, if the mural is the subject, color is the way to go. Plus with color you have it both ways to a degree. Statistically 20 percent of men worldwide are color blind.

[bnnrcn]

Phil, do you mind if I touch your images ? I want to show you something, if you don't like the image I will remove it.

[flashback]

To me the image is about design, abstractness and as such the B&W works much better. It just seems to me that in wanting to see the image in color, it's the color that people desire to see rather than than the overall image. So for some people, needing to see color, the image looks better in color. To those that prefer to see lines and designs, the B&W works best. So ultimately, everyone's opinion is right...or wrong, except for mine, and yours

[Werner]

colour

[Paul Windass]

To be quite honest I like them both. The colour draws your eyes to the pattern more, but the B&W draws you to the whole image.
If I had to decide....................colour. Has more of a visual effect