Hans,
You need the correct lighting and subject to give the correct tones and contrast.Composition becomes much more important,also.Black and white photography is much more difficult than color photography where the colors themselves give you some separation of objects and some "punch" and excitement to the picture..I gave up bonsai for a period of time a few years back.B&W photography became my medium of expression.I wasn't particularly good at it though,probably for the same reasons that so many people fail at bonsai.
It takes a good eye,lots of patience,time,dedication,and a basic understanding of that darn "a" word.Dare I say it?....shhhhh, "art".The learning curve is no less steep than in bonsai if you really want to go beyond the hobby level.Plus..with a capital P.....talent and an imaginative spirit play a big part in going beyond the ordinary.
Chris,
The silver/digital debate was heated when I was playing around with photography.I have a feeling that digital has slowly won over many of the pros.The manipulations made in the darkroom are so much easier with the many photoshop like programs now.Even the paper and inks to print on and with have made enormous strides in quality in the last few years.And the digital cameras pros use are getting better and better.
andy