I shoot everything in color. Actually, Raw, to be precise. And once I've done my sort and decided which images I like best, I begin to consider the possibilities. One of those considerations is B&W.

Model: Leah Gerber.

As others have said before, color sometimes just gets in the way. Not always, but there are those times when I want to experience the composition and tonality without distraction. For those images, I've started a SmugMug gallery dedicated to B&W.

For me, B&W is a frame of mind, I usually don't mix those images in with color photographs. Even in my portfolio, B&W has its own chapter.

As for processing, initial sorting steps are handled in Aperture 3. After I've decided which images are going to be converted to monochrome, I open them in Nik Silver Efex Pro 2,which gives me the control to process the images just the way I want. I use the Aperture plug-in version, so my photos come back to Aperture for finishing touches.

B&W isn't for every shot. But for the right images, it's an amazing way to view the world.

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