I used to have painting instructors that said to never use black and white in your paintings. After so many years of painting, I can see why. I have developed an eye that hones in on color.
However, I think this breakthrough happened more pronouncedly after taking a series of photography courses online. In photography, it is all about capturing light and shadow.
If you get too much sunshine or light in the studio, an image becomes blown out. That is, the highlights turn out completely white, lacking color. It is most desired to avoid these highlights from your images; to create a more realistic image.
One the other hand, if you take a photograph with too many shadows, these area of darkness conversely turn entirely black. These areas of the image are less interesting and lack substance.
Capturing the right amount of light and shadow is the goal in the image. A wide range of details emerge through the viewfinder.
As you start to analyze the detail, you notice the subtle color differences in the light zones as well as the dark ones. The area of the image where you see white might actually be tinted yellow in the sunlight or a deep purple violet in a shadowed area.
Looking at the world in this manner opens up a whole new way of looking at light and shadow as well as color. It is really quite beautiful when you look at the view before you in more detail.
Pen & Ink Magic 