The wonderful thing about digital black and white printing is that any type of image can be used as its source. Converting from color digital images, color film and even color prints presents little problem, and is much easier than doing so in the old, chemical darkroom. But what makes for an effective print is another matter. Just what is a successful print? It’s one that communicates the thoughts and feelings of the photographer at the moment the shutter is snapped; it is often a faithful rendition of the quality of light that appeared in the original scene.
However, most prints are refinements of the moment, and can even be reinterpretations of the scene. These refinements are made in order to enhance the image, or to add further visual expression. The reinterpretations are made as the photographer explores the visual possibilities of the image, and finds new forms or ways to go deeper into the image beyond what was glimpsed, or intuited, when the shutter was first released. This is especially true of black and white prints, where so much visual experimentation can be explored. This is in no small part due to the removal of color and the ability to express with texture and tone rather than color. The artistic freedom this brings is key to the ability to communicate photographically.
Black and white requires involvement--it is not like digital snapshot photography where the memory card can be placed into a printer and prints are automatically made.
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