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Black and White Photography - When converting color images to B&W makes good senseBlack and white photography evokes feelings of a bygone era, as the first photographs were black and white, and early masters like Ansel Adams and Ed Weston did their work that way. Color is the norm these days, and most photographers can't imagine why an image would be better in monochrome.There are a few instances when I prefer black and white photography to color photography. The winter landscape below is a great example. The scenery is somewhat monochromatic anyway, dominated by snow, dark pines, bare aspens, and clouds. The little bit of color isn't missed in this image, and the shaded foreground looks better in black and white.
 
Another instance is when you want to highlight the texture of your subject. By eliminating the color from this image, the eye can easily focus on the texture of the rusty wire and the aged wooden post.
Overcast days are also good times to shoot in black and white. The lack of contrast makes color photos look washed out, while those same images in black and white will stand out better. Converting an image from color to black and white is easy. The easiest method, though not recommended, is to simply desaturate your photo's color. The problem with this method is that you give up control over how each color contributes to the various shades of gray. If you choose to desaturate your color photo, you'll want to increase the contrast afterward. Using the channel mixer is one desirable way to make a black and white image from a color photo. It allows you to decide how much of the red, green, and blue are used in the final image.
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