No click bait, no sensational intro, just concise information and straight to the point

"If you can decide between colour or black and white, then neither is strong enough" is my mantra when editing and viewing images. Thank you for an inspirational year Sean.

I like both color and b&w, but when I want to shoot in black and white (even if I shoot raw) usually I set the evf on monochrome. I find it easier that way because it helps me focus on things like textures or contrast between light and shadows instead of colors.

This video couldn't have cone at a better time for me, considering my last post on social media said "Color or black and white. I never know because I'm indecisive." Thank you

Hi Sean, I noticed this video you posted a year ago and sadly it only popped up in KZfaq as was doing more digging into B&W photography. I enjoyed your video very much because I'm rediscovering, for myself, B&W photography. I'm 69 and in a few months I'm hoping to turn 70. I've been photographing for most of my life and initially it was all B&W roll film as I was only 8 or 9 and that's all my parents could afford. After leaving school and going to work I was able to purchase colour roll film and stayed with colour for much of my life and on into digital photography. I had never heard of RAW and everything I did was in JPEG and in colour. I bought a Lumix bridge camera about four years ago learned about the benefits of RAW and never looked back. I retired in December 2022 mainly because I was getting on a bit, but also wanting to have more time for my photography which is landscape. Since my retirement I have been drifting back into B&W mainly for the reason that I noticed that a few of images looked better in B&W. It wasn't to correct a mistake it was because I hadn't considered how a particular image would look in B&W. I have never deleted any of my mistakes because I've always felt uncomfortable about doing that. For two months I've been going back over digital images I took about 19 years ago and moving forward to the present day. Many of the early ones were JPEGs and many were just not very good but it was helpful to keep them so I could look back. I found a small number that I was able to recover with Lightroom and Photoshop and odd ones I converted to B&W as I was curious to how they would look, and some seem to almost come alive. The majority I left as colour, but there were the few that were much better as B&W. I learned a valuable lesson from this exercise. I do feel my photography, Sean. I didn't used to, being more anxious to catch a moment but not actually thinking about how the resulting image would look. I've learned a lot through practise and I now consider before I even get the camera out the bag, is this scene going to be alive with colour because that's what I see, or will it be B&W if that is what I see instead. Well the image will be in RAW so I can try both colour or B&W when I get back home. I've found, for me, that before I pick up my camera I need to have a feel for how I want the image to be at the end of the day - colour or B&W. It's something new for me but it is thought provoking to have that additional option in mind.

Thank you for helping pull together a bunch of disparate thoughts into a cohesive decision system.

Mr. Tucker is one if the reasons i bought a monochrom. To be intentional in my approach every time i go out. Now… as Christmas has arrived my 6 months of Monochrom has slipped a bit. The reds man! But my intention is to be able to see shapes. Learn graphic design. Understand contrast. Then add color back in to raise my game over the summer. Just for the journey. Just to understand this wonderful medium a little bit better.

You discuss something interesting quite frequently which could be narrowed down to "shooting with intention". I'll be honest I take the opposite approach. And I think it's probably because of where my intention occurs in the process. When I'm shooting I'm looking to be surprised. I never have an intention to take a specific photo let alone whether what I see would be better in color or B&W. Obviously your approach works magnificently for you with great success. And possibly the difference for me also is that photography is a hobby. Something I enjoy - not something I'm looking to make money from. Again, nothing wrong with making money. I just don't want my photography to become a "job". So back to "intention". Often when I take a photo I simply think "that might be interesting" but I honestly don't know where the journey will end for that image until I get home and edit the image. You also make a really key point about shooting in Raw. Once I started shooting in Raw it seemed to me my photos went to the next level. While I do take nature photos I mostly shoot abstracts and textures so most often I will leave an image in color. If I'm likely to convert an image to B&W it will be a nature shot (such as a misty morning) like you showed here. But again I don't "plan" whether an image is B&W or color. I have to play with it after I get home and when I can say "WOW" only then do I know which version I will stick with. Keep up the great work Sean. Always an inspiration and thought provoking. 🙂 Peace out and happy holidays.

Instagram completely changed the way I look at B/W-photography. The majority of B/W work I see on there is so incredibly bad and exactly as you described, just a choice to seem more significant; so I can't stand it anymore if it's not a historical image. Your B/W-work, though is not bad at all, Sean; still, I preferred every single example in colour because these dreamlike scenes you're capturing just seem so much richer and more real.

Sean, you continue to be a source of inspiration and confidence building teacher without realizing it. Thank you for your time, ideas and philosophy. This topic is something I have really started thinking about but got stressed just at the thought of what it meant to choose. You've helped immensely. Have a great rest and holiday.

Happy Holidays... Be well & Thank you for sharing.

I think it’s important to decide your intention before taking a photo like you say. I’ll intentionally take a photo black and white or color in camera depending on what I’m photographing. Seems to work for me.

Thank you Sean, Merry Christmas to you.

Something must be in the air; this is the third video about color v.s black and white. All of them good. I concur with you about the picture deciding which it needs to be, though the way I phrase it is "if the color isn't adding, it is taking away." Also, I would mention that I find color harder to make work, as with black and white requires balancing fewer factors. You have to deal with all of the black and white issues-contrast, light, shape, etc.-when making a color photo, but have to add color balance, hue, white balance, etc.

Having studied photography in a classical Zone System way, color presents me with no end of confusion about means and ways and goals. Compared to working in a b/w darkroom (long ago), editing digital color seems like three-dimensional chess, and not in a good way! For the last few days, I've been revisiting a color series that after some months I edited a set in b/w. I know what is strong in the color images, and I know why b/w will always be my first love. But choosing sometimes feels like death (sometimes not; to me, my non-commercial portraits "need* to be b/w). I so much appreciate your talking about the nuances of photography and your decision processes.

Happy holidays, Sean. Hope that you enjoy your time off!

Thank you so much Sean😊 Happy holidays and happy new year 🎉

I very rarely deliver a monochrome version of an image. It's often just a crutch to fix odd colors or some issues with the skin tones. Nowadays I get a handful of variants of the same shot. And if I can't decide on a single good one, I edit variants with monochrome or strong looks like really low saturation or some funky variants. Years ago I have been toa museum that help a black&white exhibition. It wasn't photography only but there were some great pieces. But the highlight of the exhibition were two rooms. One that was completely covered in grey, every item in it was grey - floor and ceiling too. It was a bit odd to be in but nothing compared to the next room. A giant empty room, with an extremely heigh ceiling. It was lit by sodium vapor fixtires (what you have for streetlamps for example). And since the light source was very narrowband monochrome. Our eyes don't have a single clue about what actual 'color' the another visitors in the room where. So people in that room looked grey scale. It was really odd and I spend a few minutes in that room and even interacted with other visitors. It's an experience that's worth having. A great dream of mine is to do filmmaking and photography in the long wave infrared. Which usually means monochrome cameras. But going inverted or using a fake color palette is the interesting part for me. The thermal infrared is barely reflective, almost everything is emission - especially people. They are like the lightbulbs in your scenes. It's completely different than visible light and changes what photography means for everyone.

Thank you for all the education and thought provoking videos you provide to us. Hope you have a Happy Christmas and New Year!

Thank you for sharing your inspiring work in this difficult year! Wish you a wonderful xmas and all the best for 2022

Great video as always. Have a wonderful holiday.

Happy Holidays Sean and thank you for another great topic and your valuable ideas on it.

Merry x- mas Sean, Looking forward for your videos in 2022. And cant wait for the next collection. Regards from Germany 🇩🇪

What I appreciate most about your presentations is that you are not trying to impress us with what you know, rather you are giving your knowledge to us. Thank you and have a fine holiday and a tranquil new year.

Looking forward to collection V, Wishing you a safe Xmas and a Happy New Year

I was waiting for this video since I wrote you DM on Instagram about Collection IV and loving color more than B&W, I mentioned I haven't grown to like B&W yet. Thank you for this video, now I see how I can approach my photography differently and embrace B&W photography as well. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Sean.

Thanks for a great year of content Sean. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year🎄🇦🇺🎆

I find your content so inspiring - both in what you show and what you say. Thanks Sean.

Great video! Have a wonderful break, Sean!

I have become more conscious about the role of luminosity and contrast in image creation. As a result I've taken more images this year than previously in which I knew that monochrome would work best. The key for me is to not force either choice.

Thanks Sean, again good insights and suggestions. Enjoy your break.

I shoot film. I love choosing to shoot black and white film on occasions because it forces me to look at scenes around me in a different way.

Holy smokes, you take good photos. That one with the hat contrasting the sky is stunning. I will admit to using the crutch (and continuing to use the crutch) of converting to B&W as an attempt to rescue photos when the light is rotten; I grab my photo time opportunistically and that often means midday on the weekends or an hour here and there if I think I can time a location. All that said, I am working on the direction of being more and more selective and intentional; and my better shots upon reflection are usually more deliberate. It's a journey.

Enjoy your break!

Thanks for another Great Video and i agree totaly. Merry Christmas and Fine Holidays to you.

Happy Christmas / New Year Sean

You’re so intentional and deliberate, Sean. I love that! And, I am working hard to slow myself down, look at a scene I’d like to capture, ask myself “What speaks to me about this?” and then try to capture it in a way that tells my experience.

Thank you as always. Enjoy your break, see you in January.

Merry Christmas Mr. Tucker!

I shoot in color but I have noticed that some of my images have a B&W feel to them even in color. I have not really explored doing B&W photography as conscious choice. Food for thought.

Intention is key, thanks for sharing your knowledge Sean!🙇🏻‍♂️

Great, down-to-earth video about how you choose between B&W and color. No blah blah, just clear talk. Like it! I tend to post both a B&W and a color version on IG if I can't decide.

Thanks for the thought-snacks! I like working in B&W and myself sometimes do side-by-side edits to decide which image is stronger. Much to learn, this is most helpful.

Hello Sean, Many thanks for this video... Enjoy your downtime, have a great Christmas and New Year and we'll see you in 2022. Take care. Paul,,

Great as always. Love it. 👌

Excellent video Sean. Also, I agree with you, Tatiana is great.

Sean my friend, Thank you Thank you for your consistent valuable and sincere sharing. Have a great holiday season. Merry Christmas!!!

Excellent video, Sean, and well presented, as always! I am guilty of waiting for the processing process to decide between color or BW. I am going to be more aware of the decision process and see if I can implement your approach. Enjoy the holidays, Sean, and here's to a healthy and productive 2022!

Thanks for this Sean I enjoyed your description of your use of intentionality as part of the creative process. It made me go back and revisit a couple of years worth of images I’ve taken and ask myself why I chose colour vs. B&W and if I would make the same choices now. Interestingly for me I can pretty much say 100% that those in colour are the right choices but a number in B&W, thankfully those taken longer ago, should definitely have been kept in colour. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of B&W is “art” and serious photography and colour isn’t. Thank goodness for Martin Parr and other like him who showed that isn’t the case. I’m going challenge myself to practise choosing colour vs. B&W before I take an image for a few weeks to see how it affects my process/results. Thanks once again for the inspiration.

Thank you Sean for your continued thoughtful content. It is always a pleasure to make a coffee and sit with you for 15 minutes. One of the small pleasures in life. Long may you continue to do this "you tube" thing at your own pace.

Thanks for this Year, just got your Book. Have a Good Christmas and a Great 2022 !

Thank you again for a most thoughtful question,I'm really thinking now...

Excellent thoughtful exposition as always! I shoot film a lot so I try to look for appropriate scenes based on whether I've loaded b&w or color :)

This video was so helpful to me, as a beginner photographer I have found your videos very impactful throughout the years. Enjoy your break, happy holidays!

Pretty good perspective on this honestly. Especially if you have a chaotic mind like mine where the choice itself can be overwhelming. I tried choosing between the two as a "I mostly do this" and it doesn't work. I think the image itself has a lot of input towards what it should be and arguing it can feel unpleasant. I also really like the tip to keep a theme through a project, I'll have to apply that moving forward for when I do shoots where there is a repeating subject or subject matter.

I find it interesting that you didn't mention images with good tonal range that often serve as strong candidates for b&w consideration. It's another contributing factor for myself when deciding between the two. Many thanks and continued blessings in the New Year! Cheers!

I was just speaking the other day with a friend how it seemed people turn to bnw to try and make a mundane photo seem more powerful. We’ve all done it 😅

I find the "rule" that a body of work should either be one or the other for consistency is as artificial of a "rule" as the art world looking down on color in the early days of photography. There are great examples where ignoring this "rule" led to interesting and diversified bodies of work that work well. One photographer who comes to my mind is Andreas Herzau who has published a number of excellent books where B&W and color make up a single body of work. Sequencing obviously is a different challenge. I have also seen the clever mix of color and b&w where each symbolize a meaning as the body of work is structured, e.g. b&w for interior shots, color for outdoor shots, b&w at night, color at day - there are tons of valid reasons to mix both.

you are a real great artist. Others would charge people for these secrets you are revealing. Thank you endlessly, you have truly inspired me and made me look at photography from the right perspective. Thank you

Now I've been taking photos for almost a couple of years; I am starting to think more about whether I intend a shot to be b&w or colour. There's a street in a nearby town that for some reason really appeals to me; I think it's because there's something of a Dickensian feel to it and it's lined with trees. For a while I'd been wanting to get a night shot of it & I'd already decided it was a b&w shot because of the white glow of the street lights. I finally got a chance to get the shot & it's one of my favourites. I also took a shot in the summer at sunset of a weed that had pushed its way out of the sea wall. Even though it was sunset, I had it in my mind that this was a b&w shot which is how I presented it & people seemed to really like it. I do still find myself struggling to choose with some shots though 😂 Enjoy your break. Hope you have a relaxing Christmas. Thanks for the content; look forward to more in the new year. 👍🏻

A great and inspiring video as always. For me, I agree completely about keeping something in color vs black and white. As much as I love Leica, I can never see myself owning a monochrome only camera, but my friends who own monochrome only cameras produce stunning images.

I hardly ever convert to b&w but I do enjoy good b&w images. You do it so well Sean. Another great episode. Merry Christmas to you Sean and all the best for a Happy Healthy 2022. Look forward to seeing you again in 2022. Cheers

One thing really need to do is start editing my raw files, watching this and the little you do to an image yet the difference it makes gives me the push I need. Have a great Christmas and New Year Sean, with everything that’s been going on you deserve, and need it. Trust me, I know, I’ve been there.

Thank you Sean. I really like how you present ideas.

I am guilty of using b/w as a crutch somwtimes. But I agree, if the color adds to an image leave it. All to best for next year and enjoy the holidays

Really interesting Sean. Always a pleasure

A really interesting point of view, excellent vlog Thank You

Informative video Sean. Agree with the 2 points on how to decide whether an image will go bw or color. Additionally, I found that an image with only 1 or 2 primary colors is punchier.

fantastic vdieo and came just in time with Samuel's 1 year taking BnW photo video as well. your point of keeping it honest is great thank you

Great channel Sean, newish subscriber here. T Hopper is a brilliant recommendation too. Enjoy the break.

big fan of your work man

Great Sean! Nice video and question for digital-pixel photo/image makers. A little less for film shooters. Mainly film shooters use to choose their film "before" loading it and no question!

Trying to get back into shooting again a lot of your videos have been very inspiring! Thank you! Watching this one, knowing when to choose color or black and white seems pretty simple, as it's best way to tell your story in a picture. Some things look great in black and white, while some actually look better in color. I recently got into digital via a Fuji Xpro 2 and a 35mm and a 50mm. I already know I want a third lens. Four would be pushing it though. I don't want to be bother w carrying around a bunch of lenses. When I shot film, max I would carry was two. It forced me to stop and consider my shot more. This was even more the case when shot with a 4x5 Sinar and 90mm super angulon and a 150mm. I always shot in black and white. Not because it was stylish or cool, but because it easier and cheaper to develop and process it. Most of what I shot was for architecture firms. But occasionally I would go out to Mt Rainier and shoot. I shot a few slides on 4x5 and it was super expensive. I lost all of it in my divorce. So now I am starting over. There is a lot to learn about digital and I feel as I am a newbie all over again. But I discovered something. I love it again!

Enjoy the rest of the year and we will meet again in January.

Great video as always. I find that I tend to shoot based on my mood and overall sense of well being. I'm typically a happy well adjusted person...trying to see the positive side of life.... So when I'm in a good place... I tend to see/shoot more in color.... However when I'm feeling a little down for whatever reason...I tend to look at life and see my images more in black and white. For me...Bright vivid colors tend to evoke a vitality about life.... whereas as dark black-and-white images tend to evoke a more somber feel for me. That being said... when it comes to portraits .. It's not so much about my mood.... I tend to like black-and-white for a more dramatic artistic image.

Gracias Sean.

Really good discussion and thorough presentation. I shoot raw. But my majority is black and white because I mostly play with the shapes and highlights. If the color makes my photo have more impressive content, I`ll use it.

Awesome video! Thanks 😇 👍🏼

Happy holidays

I must say, that image with the thin cross on that hill looked really great in color as well. Because the colors where hardly there, i felt it's a really desolate place

Brilliant video, thank you

500k subscribers congratulations 🥳

Listen to you is already a pleasure 🙂

My body of work often develops a few weeks past I've made an image. So my choice is just what camera do I want to use. The film choice follows and so do the subjects when I'm out shooting..

i see four layers on your sofa. With the bokeh, so trippy

This video was great. I have been shooting street recently (newbie) and have been shooting mostly b&w with my x-t20. Occasionally though I pull up the raw if the color looks better. Now I should try to plan ahead a little better. :)

Great video. I know it's an edge case, but taking the monochrome EVF a step further, monochrome cameras (or shooting B&W film) take the intentionality a step further. While you don't have colour channels to play with in post processing the B&W images, it's a very freeing experience knowing that you are committing to one course. The Q2Monochrom is a wonderful camera, if very expensive.

Thanks for sharing your view, as always very well expressed; I shoot over 90% in B&W. My main camera is a Leica Monochrom, second one is a Sony RX1 which I had converted to monochrome removing the colour filters. When i want to - or need to - shoot in colour, then I take the SL out. It is a personal preference, of course, but sometimes I do feel that colour - which i do love - can be distracting or overwhelming at times, like when I am shooting in crazy colourful places like India, for example. Happy holidays!

Liked before watching it 😎

My idol i follow always he boards and i feel much groowing up on my shootings very intressing videos congratulation

I’m a live music photographer. Sometimes venues don’t have good lights or the sound person can’t be bothered and just puts on red lights (or green or blue). When that happens, there is really only one option (or least for me): switch to black and white. Monochrome lighting = monochrome photos.

Excellent video! October for me was a month where I committed to BW and in hindsight I think it's bad to go out thinking "I'm only shooting BW today!" or "I'm only shooting color today!" We need to be flexible if we want to seize all opportunities for great images around us.

Sean- I really enjoy your channel - so freshening - I am dreaming about your retreats- if that can happen any time soon, Cheer, Steve aka TTF

Sean, i would like to know how you decide whether one or another image is better. I think it would make a great topic for a video, how to choose between images that maybe are quite similar

Yes. Cheers

Nice talk, thank you.

A photographer says, "that's a cool shirt". Had me sniggering that I know what he meant. Finally I am learning something😊

How did you do the framing with that runner with that big wall backdrop. Pretty amazing crop and image!

I'll photograph in both colour and b&w though I'm happiest with b&w as I'm colourblind (CP3: reds and greens). Fortunately in a photo the colours are presented to you by your chosen subject/composition, unlike painting (yes, I've drawn purple skies and had weird coloured animals eating weird coloured grass!). However, in an edit, saturation, skin tones and warmth can make my images look garish as I've no real control over what I'm seeing. With b&w it's generally just tonal values of grey and I'm happy (feel a lot safer) with that. Do you ever take b&w images with a single colour prominent? Your shot of the cafe with the orange (I saw it as red, welcome to my world) awning may have worked in b&w with the awning keeping its colour!? It's all subjective but as long as it remains creative and fun then that's mission accomplished. Merry Christmas and enjoy your break.

Just great