I'm still enjoying this medium which has always fascinated me. There is something about a b&w photo that makes you really look at it, not just a melange of pretty colors depicting things that are often so familiar to us. I consider myself a beginner here, but I am learning fast. I have been working in the darkroom, and really love the magic of watching a print appear. One tenet of photography is that it is the photographer that creates the photograph, not the camera. Of course, having all kinds of automatic adjustments on your camera can make that process easier, but it does not necessarily follow that you'll be a better photographer. Some of the timeless shots by Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Margaret Bourke-White, Steiglitz and others were certainly done with equipment that was adequate, but not necessarily complex. Interpreting the tonal values of a scene and composing an effective photo do not require the latest gadgetry. Visualization of a photographic print takes place before the shutter is fired, and realization of that vision is made possible in the darkroom (or Photoshop!). Perhaps that is why I like black and white photography. You should think about the tonal qualities of a scene before you trip the shutter. You don't need the latest equipment to do that, and a 35mm rangefinder or twin lens reflex for medium format are relatively cheap. For those without a darkroom, I recommend Kodak's TCN400, which can be developed at any mini-lab. Shoot it at an ISO of 320, not 400.
