Must they all be fishing related? Most of my favorite B & W's are NFR, although I think I do have a few fishy ones.

Awesome black and white images are all about contrast. Unfortunately, much of today's camera technology is aimed at minimizing this natural contrast or high dynamic range. Minimizing in the sense of creating less separation between light and dark and aiming for more even exposure throughout the frame. HDR software, highlight and shadow reductions in programs like Iphoto, active D lighting (nikon), etc. To get black and white images to really pop, you need a lot of contrast.

Bradford Washburn was the master of black and white and he chose the Alaska Range as his favorite studio for a good reason. Granite and glaciers with heavy sun/shade lines and very little in the mid-range gray scale combined for a near perfect setting for this type of work.

A bit of post processing goes a long way with regard to B&W these days. In a lot of cases we have to try and recreate some of what the camera is working to eliminate for striking B&W. Tune down your exposure a bit and tune up your contrast and you'll like get an image that pops a little more than a perfectly exposed one in color.

You never know when you might stumble across a cool monochrome opportunity...



On the river





In the shade(s)






At the airport





In the hills.





On top of a hill.





Even at a concert.




Good one Doc. I do love a good black and white photo.