Some shots work better in colour, some in black and white.

Thankfully when using Adobe Lightroom it is easy to do both. I tend to do whatever I was going to do to a colour edit, then remember that it might be worth trying a black and white version. So what I do is create a virtual copy of the edited image, then press the “black and white” text on the right in the develop module.

Voila. A black and white copy. 

Once I have done this I will have a quick think and see if the black and white option is worth pursuing, which more times than not it is. 

Like with this shot below of the ceiling in the spectacular Cathedral in San Sebastián.

This should work well in black and white. 

Well to start with I love the colour version.  This could be a tricky one…..

It has lovely muted, calming, subtle colours. 

So what does the black and white version look like? 

This

It’s fine but those lovely colours are obviously lost, and there is not enough in this black and white version of the image for me. 

So this time colour wins. 

I could have taken the black and white processing further, and maybe I will in the future. I think I will add some drama to the black and white shot – keep checking my blog to see the drama version! But so far the colour version is the winner!!

Let me know which you prefer! 

Thanks for reading this post, and please get in touch via my website with any photography related query at 

www.rickmcevoyphotography.co.uk

I am an architectural photographer living in Dorset working in Hampshire, Surrey and London as well as Dorset