Life in monochrome

When I first started taking pictures I exclusively used black and white film because I thought that was what “real” photographers did (I was an Ansel Adams fanboy). Moving into digital, we are now spoiled for choice and can switch between colour and B&W both in the camera and after the event, even adding virtual filters. (Somewhere I still have some plastic Cokin filters in yellow, orange, red and green, which have the effect of changing the way certain colours are rendered in black and white—the red ones are fun for making a blue sky turn angry black.) But nowadays I’m seldom drawn to monochrome: I can press a button to see what a picture would look like in black and white, and generally I prefer it in colour. One exception, however, is some of the photos I take of performers, particularly musicians. I’m not sure if this is because I find the colours of stage lighting distracting, or whether it’s just my habit of hyping the midrange contrast which can produce a sort of quicksilver surface or make musicians look gnarly and intense (it’s not flattering, however, and is definitely gritty rather than pretty). Or maybe it just takes them out of time and immerses them in a longer music tradition. See what you think.