True black and white photography would be photographed using 35mm black and white film. However, using film is rare these days. Black and white photography is almost always shot using digital cameras and is post-processed using software to drop out all colours except black, white and shades of grey.
Black and white images can be used to express emotion very effectively, to create mystique and to narrate a chronicle with just a single image. Good black and white photographs will contain well-balanced contrast between the lightest and darkest shades of grey, defined shadows, interesting shape and defined texture.
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Black and white and shades of grey
Not to be confused with monochrome photography where there is at least one other colour that is not a grey tone, creative black and white photography has only black, white and shades of grey within the photograph.
Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams (1902-1984) would be one of the most famous black and white landscape photographers. Known for his striking landscape images Adams had a deep understanding of the link between the photographic elements of composure and full tonal range in this type of photography.
Not to be confused with monochrome photography where there is at least one other colour that is not a grey tone, black and white photography has only black, white and shades of grey within the photograph.
Modern photographers
Modern photographers in this genre to follow are Julia Anna Gospodarou, Carina Hedlund and Noriaki Kimura. Look up each of these photographers and study their compositions and style and you’ll see there is a large amount of variation between these photographers, but each produces remarkable compositions.
Black and white appreciation
Someone with an appreciation of this type of photography whether it be a landscape, portrait, street scene or other composition is not distracted by elements of colour. They can read into and create their own narrative and meaning within the image.
Back in the days of newspapers
In the days of printed newspapers most photographs were printed in black and white. This had more to do with budget, technology of the day and economics than true black and white photography, but each printed image was a part of the narrative of the text beside it. The photo would accompany the newspaper article and be relatable to it.
Narration in black and white
This genre of photography can narrate a story without an accompanying article. A truly great black and white photograph created in modern times will compel you to contemplate its composition and reason.
Composition without colour
When shooting black and white try to look at your composition without colour. Can you see good definition between the light and dark tones? Is there deep contrast? Does the scene even lend itself to being processed as black and white photography?
Can you introduce more light in any additional part of the composition to bring out the emotion that you need to push your photograph from being a great one to being on the edge of brilliance? Its questions like these that you should contemplate when composing for black and white photography.
Any subject
Great tonal photography such as this is achieved not just with portraits, but with any subject. If you have some scenes, including portraits, that you’ve photographed in the past, revisit them in black and white! Find some nice compositions that you’ve photographed and look for a large tonal range and contrast.
Then switch the photograph to black and white and now look for emotion in the image. If you sense something new in the photograph that you didn’t feel before, then you have successfully achieved one of the aims of black and white photography, emotion!
Emotion in composition
It doesn’t matter whether the image is the greatest composition or not, it doesn’t matter if you can’t find anyone near to you that doesn’t feel the same emotion that you do about your work. What does matter is that you found a new emotion in your photograph that you didn’t realise was there before, which is what black and white photography is all about!
Portfolios
Well known modern photographers will usually maintain a website portfolio and have social media accounts that display their art on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
Have fun with black and white photography!
The contrasts in black and white photography can be striking.