Ultimately it's a taste thing. I like B+W images of cathedral architecture, but this is a people forum and I liked this shot because it was about the interaction between the people and the architecture.(posted 8672 days ago)On the slide there is detail to be had in the left hand column, and it would be possible to do a long-tonal range B+W version of this. I've played with the idea on the computer but find the architecture keeps taking over and the image becomes more conventional. Those splashes of colour at the base of the right hand column and the first two people's green jerseys help pull the eye downwards and stop it getting lost in a forest of columns. The inverse depth cueing (lighter with distance) seems more confusing in B+W too.
It's certainly possible to go back. The cathedral has been there for over 900 years (akthough the fluted columns are mere striplings of 630 or so). Finding the right light at the right time of year might be hard, but the biggest problem is that Winchester has a grasping dean and chapter who are downright unfriendly to large format photographers and their tripods. Maybe a HOBO and Delta 3200 would do the trick.