Color or BW for street....?

[35mmdelux]

To me, unless very well executed, I prefer color by far.

 

[jsrockit]

I think I'm just one of those people that "don't know".... (caveat: not that my BW images will be forever etched in society's mind).
I'm trying to learn color though....

Do you have a decent digital camera and something like lightroom?

To me, digital has this advantage: you shoot in RAW and decide if the image works in Color or B&W better later. For the beginner (time wsie or medium wise), this helps figure out what works best for an image until you are more comfortable knowing which works better while photographing. Old school types will say "I see in B&W" or "I see in color", and think it is cheating to use RAW and choose later, but that is only their preference / opinion. There are no absolute rules. Just do what works. Some of the "masters" have made B&W prints from color negs... believe it or not.

 

[barnwulf]

I walk the streets to shoot my photographs although I rarely include people. I don't know if it qualifies as street photography or not. I shoot mainly portions of store windows, reflections, shadows cutting through objects or lines. It's most always black and white but sometimes I run across something and it just has to be color. Sometimes I can return with color film and still get the photo or if I am shooting with my M8.2 I can go either way. I have to say that I really like film.

 

[Royale With Cheese]

Gary,

Where is this???

Hi craig!! its at the underpass from the Fullerton Hotel to One Fullerton

 

[coelacanth]

B/W for me.

 

[Royale With Cheese]

B/W for me.

These are lovely!

 

[jky]

Do you have a decent digital camera and something like lightroom?

To me, digital has this advantage: you shoot in RAW and decide if the image works in Color or B&W better later. quote]

...the workflow has been digital the past few years. However the mono output (print) matches what I've preconceived at the moment of exposure. This isn't so when I try color.
I'm still learning to use composition, angles and such to utilize color as part of the main subject and not as a distraction. Not that composition and all that are not important with BW - we all know they are - but the bright orange sweater in the background (per se) doesn't disctract.

 

[jsrockit]

I'm still learning to use composition, angles and such to utilize color as part of the main subject and not as a distraction. Not that composition and all that are not important with BW - we all know they are - but the bright orange sweater in the background (per se) doesn't disctract.

Yes, this is exactly the difference. Color is another descriptive element. For me, when the colors work, it is color. When they don't... it is B&W. 😀 Of course this only works for digital.

 

[ederek]

I generally like B&W for street, though sometimes color adds to the image: