Color and Monochrome – Why they both work

Yesterday I featured this tulip in black and white and today I will compare it to it’s original color version.  In my opinion, both images stand well on their own “stems” (pun very much intended) for similar and different reasons.  With a color image the eye immediately takes notice of the colors – the white, yellow, pink and then green.  From there you begin to take in the entire image; the shape of the tulips petals, how they are arranges and the patterns in the petals.  I’ve found that while my eyes do notice the colors and the striations on the petals, I am drawn right to the center of the tulip by the leading color lines of the petals.  But what about the monochrome version?

In black and white, the eye is still drawn to the shape of the tulip and it’s petals and they do lead your eye right to the center of it but there are differences.  Obviously there is lack of color to attract you but that is replaced by the shadows and the contrasts; the darks and lights in the image.  What stands out more in this image than the color are the details of the tulip.  In monochrome the the variegation and the middle line in each petal revealed better.  Also the textures of the stigma, pistil, anthers etc. really stand out in monochrome as compared to color.  The texture of the anthers (those black stick like parts) really pop in black and white.  Viewing them close up in this version they remind me of used coffee grounds.

As stated early in this post, they are both good images for similar and different reasons.  Can you think of any other ways that they are the same or different?  Please share your thoughts in the comments section.