Why I mostly shoot black and white images

The question of monochrome versus color images has a really simple answer: I just really like black and white photos, and I really enjoy making them.

It doesn't even have to be all that deep.

My current process 9 out of 10 times for taking photos is to leave my camera in a custom monochrome picture profile, take and review photos on the camera in black and white, import the color RAW file into Darktable and then do the manual conversion process back over into monochrome.

Why not just leave the image in color if it was taken in color?

When I shoot monochrome, the way I take photos changes.

Again, it's quite simply a matter of preference, taste, and enjoyment. I actually enjoy quite a lot of color photography, having quite a few photobooks on my shelves with digital and film color photography throughout their pages.

When I shoot monochrome, the way I take photos changes. I can't rely on color to do the job of pulling the viewers' eye toward the subject, nor can I get away with a lightly boring image that is saved by interesting color. There's a sort of...truth, I think, to black and white images. It strips the process back to the basics of light and contrast and composition.

It's also okay to take monochrome pictures if that's what you like.

It doesn't have to be more complicated than that.