Ok, I've been wondering this for a long time, and I'm trying to find a way of saying this without seeming condescending or judgmental. But I really am curious. For me it has never really been a consideration, once I discovered large format color negative film and decided to stop trying to be an Adams or Weston, I knew color would be my preferred medium. Almost all of the photographers I look up to shoot color, the only real exception being Hiroshi Sugimoto. Now, I am not saying that I have anything against black and white, but that for the type of work I do I have no desire to shoot it. And this in turn leads to my preference for viewing color photographs too.

So, in an attempt at understanding, why do you choose to shoot black and white over color? Is it for aesthetic reasons such as adding a layer of abstraction? Is it process oriented, ie. you like developing and printing in a traditional darkroom? Or because black and white materials are cheaper? Do you think of things in black and white, focusing more on shape, tone, and texture than color? Is it based on the subject matter you tend to shoot?

Also, if you shoot both black and white and color, how do you decide which to use for a particular subject? If you are putting together a body of work (say for an exhibition) how do you mix the two? Or do you? Do you feel ok putting a black and white print next to a color print? Or do you think of them as separate things that cannot be mixed in a series or show?

Sorry for the long winded question, but as a devout color shooter I am just trying to understand......