The original shot, on the left, is almost monochromatic and my preference [of course]. This is one of those lucky shots, as I walked pass the door, realized it was open to this scene, backed up a few steps and shot the picture and moved on. One shot, lucky shot.
I personally like the color version, but the B&W does have some mystery and solemness to it....but really, think happy thoughts and Happy New Year, as we end 2014 and move forward.
This is one where the black and white image has its own special nature....though for my 'old' eyes, I like the color [a deep sepia, I believe] better.
Having a bit of time, I thought I'd play with images and do some black & white images from some of my favorites, by way of comparison. A good project to take a familiar image and work with it a bit to see what more or else can be obtained from it. So, here goes for a few days.
I personally like the color version, with the soft light and shadows, but as with all images, it's up to personal taste.