Black and white conversion. It's more than just removing the color from a photo. What makes a good black and white? How can you tell the difference? Here are some things to look for when you are looking for a photographer for your black and white portraits. Or even if you are working on some black and whites of your own photos.
For an example, I have a photo that I took this summer that I just used in a recent photo contest. (I won a judges recognition award for contrast--woo hoo!) The photo on the left shows the original color image. In the middle picture, I have simply removed the color.  The far right shows my final edited black and white portrait. (My final edit included removing some water droplets and sharpening also.)

Hopefully, you can see and feel the difference in the two examples. Neither has color; but the final photo has a spark and energy that is missing from number two. It feels more interactive and alive. Her eyes are more engaging.
Sometimes people will print a color photo in "grayscale" or just take the saturation all the way down to zero. The middle picture is that result.  It is sometimes described as 'muddy,' meaning the lights and darks mix together without as much contrast. In a black and white photo, there should be black-blacks and white-whites with different tonalities in between.  A quickie conversion is usually gray, gray and more gray.
That being said, there are all different types of images with different styles of black and white.  A low-key image might be very dark and moody. Dramatic photos will have a lot of contrast with dark blacks and bright whites and less gray. Sometimes an artist wants a softer, lighter look with less contrast (I sometimes prefer this look for newborns, as it can seem gentle and sweet.) There is no hard and fast rule concerning someone's choice in creating a black and white photograph. 
However, not many people would want to see their loved ones in a sickly gray light. Skin is one of my main concerns when creating a black and white portrait-possibly second to eyes.  The last thing I want to do is to give some sweet child a zombie-like pallor. I want to showcase the intensity, or joy, or whatever emotion we have captured that day. I want to be sure that the subject isn't blending into the background, also. A crisp black and white will usually go a long way toward these goals.
So, how to convert to black and white?

Just a quick share of a birthday cake smash from beginning to the grand finale. So messy, but so worth it!  He had a ball!