You can't beat the system

I have been playing a bit with shooting in black & white recently. On one hand it seems unnatural, kind of like using a filter, but on the other hand it is a throwback to my early days in photography when I had my own darkroom in the sixties. There is something about black & white that creates a distinct character to a photo which of course is not natural... the world is in color.

Selecting "Dynamic Monochrome" as a setting on the digital camera provides a good preview of the image but of course when I import the RAW file, the camera processing is not retained (only the JPEG preview has the effect). But going back to B&W in Lightroom brings up much more control over the look and the ability to fine tune the final image.

This photo was taken at a building under construction where, for whatever reason, building materials where boxed in these unusual printed cartons. Patriotic perhaps? Or just playful?

(Click the image for a enlarged view)