The original photo, taken in the courtyard of the New Mexico Museum of Art in Santa Fe, is essentially monochrome -- the darker brown of the adobe and posts and the lighter brown of the bush. Is this more or less effective than the gray scale of the second photo? Michael Freeman, in his excellent book "The Complete Guide to Digital Black and White Photography", groups monochrome and b&w together, since different colors do not compete with the other structural and textural aspects of the image. But is the vividness of color, or the abstractness and austerity of black and white, more effective? In this case, I think I choose color.
(click to enlarge)
(click to enlarge)
