Black and white photography: The practical guide

There is something magical about black and white photography, isn’t there? The timeless beauty of photos, the emotion they provide… For a very long time, black and white photography was the only medium available in photography. While color photography has also been around for a long time (the first color photo was taken in 1861), it wasn’t until the 1960s that color truly began to dominate the world, and has been since. Some might think that black and white photos are archaic and no longer have any use in the modern world. However, there is a reason black and white photography is still popular.

Personally, I am a huge fan of black and white photography!

A young girl once asked me why some movies did not have color. I told her that originally, the film did not have the ability to differentiate between one color or another. It was sensitive to light, which in turn, produced black and white photos and film.

She looked at me and replied, “but that’s not black and white. It’s more of a grayscale”.

I just looked at her and thought “is she younger than me, or what”?

She really nailed it! The term Black and White is really a lazy way of saying grayscale.

“Black and white creates a strange dreamy landscape that color can never offer. “
Jack Antonoff

Black and white photo can bring a new perspective and aesthetic to your photos which cannot be expressed by color.
Timeless, black and white image capture has evolved with history. Still so popular, some see it through this approach as a way of capturing the moment in a different way.

However, a few questions remain in your mind: what bases do I need to acquire in order to take a successful black and white photo? What are the differences with the color photo? How to bring out the contrast?
This is why today, we invite you to focus on black and white photography in order to give you the basics to make a good monochrome shot.

A black and white photograph is simply what you cannot transcribe in color. If we were to compare color and black and white, a color photograph would be the representation of reality while black and white would be the interpretation of the present.

Black and white photography, still popular?

Black and white was born with the invention of photography in the 1830s. Although digital technology continues to develop, black and white works have spanned the centuries, highlighting this part of the mystery specific to each artist. Technology is now at the service of this artistic approach thanks to conversion tools that sublimate this contemporary language.

Working in black and white allows you to convey emotions differently . As underlined by Kadir Van Lohuizen, who covered Hurricane Katrina in 2005, “I prefer to photograph in black and white than in color. The black and white gets to the point – the color would have distracted the story I wanted to tell ”. It is this fascination with the veracity of monochrome images in particular that makes black and white so timeless .

For all those who want to tell a story differently, to convey the authenticity and the essence of the moment through a snapshot, then taking a black and white photo is interesting. But beware, beyond the simple intention of capturing the moment in black and white, technique and training are necessary for the success of this very special expression.

Black and white photographs show decency at best. If you prefer retouching and enhancement along with the black and white filters, I can always make you good black and white photos as you desire. Check my services and portfolio on the link below.