Color or Black and White - One World Observatory

8/26/2021 Nikon D5500 iso 360 10mm f/8 1/250 second 

8/26/2021 Nikon D5500 iso 360 10mm f/8 1/250 second (effects selective color - none) 

These were taken at the One World Observatory on the 102 floor of the Freedom Tower at the World Trade Center in New York city. I moved back, found a bench to sit on for a minute looked up, and there was this amazing interior panorama. I had the 10-20mm Nikkor DX lens on.  

I certainly started out shooting almost exclusively black and white film, with an early Kodak Instamatic using 126 cartridge film.  I grew up with a basic darkroom in the corner of the garage. We processed and printed ourselves.  I have a great affection for the tonal ranges and simplicity of black and white.  The Nikon D5500 does not have a dedicated monochrome setting,  but it does have a selective color setting in the effects menu that allows you to eliminate colors.  I keep this as the default in the settings menu giving me a one click black and white option.  

When I printed this image in black and white, I increased the contrast, and exposure by a stop, and used the sharpen feature to create a greater silhouette of the people taking selfies in front of the window. The change in contrast and exposure darkens the ceiling making the service or a/c vents disappear, and changes the appearance of the clouds in the sky.  I like it.  If I were printing this from film in the darkroom, those are changes I would make.   

Both are interesting images.  I kind of like the B&W.