A friend of mine recently made the comment that I'm great at picking which photos should be black

and white. I was flattered, and then I started thinking about how I even make that decision. Is it an active

choice or more of a feeling? I explain a little more about my process below, and maybe it will help you

next time you're editing photos or even look at photos in a different way!

Photos with Feeling

Sometimes while I'm editing, a photo will literally scream "make me black and white!" It just jumps off the screen, and I do it without second guessing. These are usually photos with strong emotions, such as catching a glimpse of a smile on a newborn's face in his father's arms. Somehow the lack of bold color emphasizes the emotion. I challenge you to go through some of your own photos and see which ones hold the most feeling!

Light and Shadows

The dimensions of a photo are also important when choosing which ones to convert to black and white. When there are dark shadows among bright pockets of light, the depth is enhanced by the lack of color and your eye is more drawn to them.

Embracing the Imperfect

I used to disregard photos with any sort of blur, not thinking that they were worth sharing. Now I view my photos in a more artistic way, and I see that the blur doesn't take away from the moment. For instance, there's no denying that there's a lot of movement in a photo session with a furry friend. If I had disregarded this photo because of blur I would have missed out on this adorable moment. It's photos like these that I actively decide to convert to black and white and add some grain for texture.

I hope this post inspires you to get creative with your own images and notice how light and shadows have a huge impact on the feeling of a photo.

Thanks for reading- head over to my site to view more of my work!