I have just research some tips and tricks about B&W Photography and I come up with some notes about B&W photography from different sources.
The best subjects for black and white photos have high contrast. There should be a big difference between the light and dark areas of what you want to photograph. How you use light and shadow will determine if your photo is a hit or miss. If you are using a color photo with no contrast, you end up with just a photo that has had its color removed and nothing more. Your photo needs to have high contrast first for converting to black and white.
When shooting landscapes, always look for active skies, clean featureless skies just do not photograph well in black and white. Unlike when shooting color, where you should have the sun behind you, with black and white photography it’s generally best to shoot facing the sun. Shadows are important in black and white photography and when the sun is behind you, it’s much harder to achieve the higher contrast you need in black and white photography.
Some photographers say that they rescue bad color photos by converting to B&W and that is fine, but you should know beforehand why you are taking the photo and what you’re going to do with it before taking the photo. Photos taken specifically for black and white, generally, are always better than color photos converted to B&W.
Learn how to see in black and white. The best time to shoot black and white photos is usually mid day because of the strong light and shadows; even photos taken facing the sun can provide wonderful results. Learn how to use different angles of light for different effects.
A black and white photo relies mainly on structure, tonal range, contrast, composition and form. If there are little of any of these elements, then you have nothing left but a weak and dull black and white lifeless photo. With a color photo you could frequently get away without the having this but you can not with black and white photography. Texture is even more important in black and white photography simply because texture defines shadows and a variety of different types of lines found throughout the scene.
A good definition of black and white is the capturing of a sense of the dramatic. Textures such as wood grain, metal, grass, water and the various repeated patterns in nature, like waves or spirals, seem to work well in black and white photography. With black and white, always try to keep some order in your texture. Symmetrical textures in black and white are always strikingly lovely…
Now I am looking the consept of HDR-B&W (High Dynamic Range Photography on B&W) I have found a nice tutorial you can visit this page from: http://www.apogeephoto.com/june2007/jaustin62007.shtml