The Magic of Black and White Photography

During my entire career as a professional photographer, I have always shot in color. Part of the reason was commercial — I reasoned that color photos were more likely to attract attention — and part of the reason was that, quite simply, I love color. Recently, however, I decided to build a black and white photography portfolio by digging through 20 years’ worth of raw photos in my digital archives, something that I started referring to as "Project Monochrome."

"Project Monochrome" has been a continuing effort to dig through tens of thousands of photos to find the diamonds in the rough, the images that I had overlooked before because they just weren't effective in color. Sometimes, I found photos that I had originally shared as color images that I decided had more impact in black and white. Most of the time, however, I discovered photos that failed in color, but that had new life breathed into them when converted to monochrome. 

I believe that every photographer should try black & white. In general, artistic photos are made when you stop thinking literally about your subjects; black & white photography, by its very nature, forces us to do that. Since we see in color, B&W photography pushes images into a more abstract space, making us look at the world in a completely different way. This genre is perfect for anyone who wants to improve their general photography, composition, and digital processing skills. Regardless of what you photograph or how experienced you are, there's undoubtedly something special that you can learn from black and white photography.

And how has Project Monochrome changed me as an artist? Well, I still love color photography, but now I equally love black and white. This is the way that I look at it: Now, I have twice as much to photograph, and twice as much that inspires me! It feels like a total creative revival. Believe me, there is nothing that advances your skills as a photographer more than finding fresh inspiration that forces you to see things in a new light.

What Makes a Good B&W Photo?

While digging through my digital archives, I had to think deeply about the following questions: What actually makes a good B&W photo? How can I improve my B&W photography skills and take more effective monochrome photos?

The short answer is that great B&W images have an artistic and mysterious quality to them. They thrive on contrast and mystery, and somehow stand outside of time and place. I love making B&W photos when I have moody conditions (such as fog), or harsh contrast between shadow and light.

Rather than asking such obvious questions, though, ask yourself why you want to take B&W photos. Chances are you want to tell a story that means something to you and evokes strong emotions in your photos. That's a good enough reason to get into B&W photography. Again, I want to emphasize that this genre is open to photographers of all kinds. Everyone is welcome, and everyone has the potential to take good B&W photos of their own.

How Can I Improve My B&W Photos?

The great thing about B&W photography is that it doesn't require any special equipment. You can (and should) just use your color digital camera for black & white photography. The key is B&W conversion. Most photo apps and programs allow you to convert photos to black & white, but I personally use the Adobe suite of products (Lightroom or Camera RAW are perfect for most B&W editing, although sometimes I do some finishing work in Photoshop).

As I was looking through my archive to find photos for Project Monochrome, I was surprised to discover hundreds of photos that I had previously overlooked because they didn't look that interesting in color. When I converted them to B&W, however, everything clicked into place!

Before you start converting your photos to B&W, pay attention to tone, contrast, mood, and composition. It might seem like a lot to juggle mentally, but trust me, it gets easier with time! Here's an explanation from my Black & White Photography course:

A scene that looks incredible in color might look dull in B&W, and vice versa. What works best for color photography and for B&W isn't always the same. For example, color photography often looks best in soft or colorful light, while B&W photography goes really well with harsh light that’s full of contrast. Understanding the differences between the two will help you make better B&W photos.

Here's another example from my course:

Visual elements that appear separate in color may sometimes merge in tonality when converted to B&W. As a result, some images may look good in color but not so great in B&W, and vice versa. A classic example is a red apple and a green apple side by side. In color, you can easily distinguish between the two:

When you convert the photo to B&W, however, both apples end up looking a very similar shade of gray: 

Keep in mind that during the processing phase, you can selectively brighten or darken individual color channels, so you can make the red apple look brighter than the green apple. This technique can be used to enhance contrast and visual separation in your B&W images: 

Personally, I’ve found that B&W photography has expanded my range of possibilities. I’m excited to shoot more and discover more about the wonderful world of monochrome. You can learn how to take and digitally process amazing B&W photos of your own with my Black & White Photography Course. This course is filled with detailed processing tutorials, explanations, and techniques that will help you refresh your creative mind and make beautiful B&W photos that draw the viewer in.

Last but not least, it is with great pleasure that I share with you some of my favorite photos from my new Monochrome portfolio. You can see more of my black & white photography on my personal website.