What makes black and white photography all that?

Well I don't have a technical answer for you or anything, but here is my feel on it. A photograph, or more - the art of photography is capturing a moment in time and immortalizing it. When we look at the world, we see it in color, vivid and vibrant shades - and we don't see in still pictures - we see in "video". So when you take a still shot, and look at it you have a moment frozen in time, and then when you remove color - you add an air of mystery. What color was her dress? What was the weather like that day? etc. I think it's the timelessness (remember, B&W was around long before color) and the mystery.

Indeed, black and white snaps have their own looks.The main reason to this is because first there were only black and white snaps.People so got used to seeing snaps this way.Then as times past by,then came color.This was a major advancement in the field of photography that people started to migrate to it already. Its been abound 30 years past that we're used to color snaps, that the look of those black and white snaps appear new and unique.Moreover the camera that come these days capture a whole lot of details that enhance the look of those black and white snaps. My brother is a photographer not by profession but he does it cuz he fancies it.He's mainly into taking b&w snaps and he's good at it.There are actually 2 different types of these black and white ones: 1)Grey scale and 2)Monochrome Grey scales are those snaps that first came first during the early ages of photography and monochrome snaps are taken these days.The advantage of monochrome snaps is that these reveal the perfect mix of the magnitude and direction that is captured by the camera.Thus giving out those beautiful black and white snaps that you and i marvel at.Nice discussion btw and congrats for making it to the top discussions once again.

I, too, enjoy black and white photographes. For me, I enjoy how it is a picture of our world yet it is not. The black runs smoothly into grey and white. It is also classical and pictures with too much color is just so much to absorb. A black and white photo usually has one focus that captures the mind of a viewer.

I'm no expert, but I'm an artist-at-heart(or so I believe). I'm also fascinated and drawn to black and white photographs. Maybe what makes them look more artistic is that because there is so much drama and some kind of mystery to them. the look is classic. We all have color photographs nowadays and we find them too commercial and common that's why the black and whites stand out.

That's because you are living in the modern era. If you were living many years back, you would say instead that every black and white photo will always look just excellent or beautiful. However, any color photo will look like art. :P

same with me dear i also don't know much about photography but when i take one it comes out good and hey i agree with u black and white photos look like art and every one look younger and better in black and white photo.i also don't know the reason but the fact reamins...lol

Eventhough I love colours, and taking colourful pictures has been my passion, I won't deny that black and white pictures still capture my attention. There is a certain mysterious in any black and white picture. I grew up in the 'black and white' years before I saw myself in colour pictures! I still find those 'greyscale' pictures lool beautiful and artistic! Of course, they were all taken by my dear father who loves photography!

I love black and white photography. And I also really enjoy putting just a spot of color, hand painted, on part of the subject. It seems to me that when it is black and white, the person viewing the picture is not distracted by all the color blending. It creates the ability for the person to see more of the emotion rather than the action. This is why I think black and white is more artistic. However, say you have a baby in a wagon with a pumpkin. The photo is black and white...but the pumpkin is colored orange. This sorta makes the picture pop too!

Monochrome photography is totally amazing, and the main reason for this is that there is no colours to distract. Black a white phots have a lot more impact that colour ones.

I think it is the moody quality that makes black and white photography so appealing. You can really play with the light and make it broody, or dark and sinister or very soft. I think one you get the hang of it, for certain situtions (I particularly like shooting black and white by the sea) it is the only film to use.

I have noticed this too, we do digital photography and black and white photography. And the black and white photographs always seem to look better, the black and white just gives the photo a more artistic feel because if you think about it, its abstract. Its showing something in a way we do not usually view it, the world is all in colour, so when we see a colour photograph, we dont see it as anything too special. That being said, there are still many good colour photographs out there. Dying a photograph a single colour still keeps it with an artistic feel, just think about the dyed photographs you've seen. For example, i think a yellow or brown photo has a nice look to it.

I have always preferred black and white photography over color. I used to develop my own film and pictures. Black and white gives you depth, and shadows that you don't normally get with color. Although I mainly use color photos in my work, I try to use black and white when I can.

I don't know much about photography (I wish I did! haha) but I think its easier to take black and white photos. The colours don't have to be good, and it'll probably look arty no matter what the light is like. Also, seeing things in black and white is different to us. Its like seeing things at nighttime, when they lose colour, and things always look more artistic at night time as well. I like seeing things in black and white though, as much as I like colour, its a different take. Black and white are so complimentary of each other that it just makes a photo look really emphatic if only two contrasting "colours" are used.

yea i guess it's just the fact that u have to imagine the color. and it's just how some peoples minds are. then again when black and white photography first came out it made painting an art and so on i guess when 3d photography comes to the public it will make color photography art too.

I think color photos can also be very artistic. And some black and whites are just snap shots. It all depends. However, one of my favorite "artsy" things to do with my photos, is to do part in black and white, part in color.

I'm a photographer. Lately, I work digitally, in color. I much prefer analog black and white though. When you see color, your brain is inundated with all that color, distracting from details. In B/W, you can focus on texture, and brightness, on the picture. You're not looking at the bright colors, the meaningless info. You see only the subject. Black and white just feels more real. It's visceral. It has depth. Also, the b/w darkroom is a helluva lot more fun than being glued to a chair and giving Adobe all your money.

They look elegant for sure. I think it has to do with photography originally being black and white, and they always look rich and classy. I think in addition, it focuses every thing out but the image you are trying to capture. Nothing else to distract. I make a lot of my pictures black and white.

I think Black and White adds a mysterious feel to a picture. It can look haunting and beautiful. You wouldn't get that feeling if the same picture were in color. I love looking at photos and the ones in black and white are able to hold my attention far longer than color ones.

Yes colors makes any photo catchy and good, it just represent nature in it's fully colors and glory but with black and white it's not easy to make good photos with light and shadows, just shades of gray, I think it's hard to make perfect photos in black and white but the good ones are just great and outstanding, I guess it has this abstract feel to it and you can concentrate on the subject and shades of light without the glamorous colors.

Same here, I also like taking black and white pictures. Pictures like that for me gives something else. For me it makes the photo a little more dramatic and artsy.