How to see in Black and White

There’s something in the simplicity of Black and White photography that speaks to the art of the medium. Maybe the removal of colors accentuates the composition? Maybe the monochromatic tones show more than initially captured? Maybe it’s an act of getting back to the roots of photography? Whatever the reason, there is a simple charm and stark boldness in Black and White photography. This image received 1st Place in a Black & White Contest, partly due to the contrast of light and darkness. Over the years, I’ve been able to train myself to see which pictures are best suited for the Black and White conversion. Back when I was photographing with a point-and-shoot Olympus C770, I would occasionally take pictures with the “Black and White” filter. At the time, I didn’t have the post-processing tools I needed to create stunning Black and White photographs, so I relied on the simple (and limiting) in-camera filter. Now, with the help of Photoshop, I have...
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