The Art of Black-and-White Photography

Black-and-white photography is an art unto itself, with the ability to deliver both visual and emotional impact that differs radically from its full-colour counterpart. By design, a great black-and-white image makes it look deceptively easy, but mastering this genre can be tricky. Here are some basic tips on shooting impressive black-and-white photography.

Picture it in black-and-white
It’s simple enough to convert your colour photos to black-and-white after the fact, either in-camera or during post-processing, but the first step toward capturing great black-and-white photography is to make it your objective from the outset. Switch your setting to monochrome mode beforehand. You’ll not only see the image on your LCD in black-and-white as it will ultimately appear, but you’ll also be able scout your shots more effectively in advance by pre-visualizing them already drained of colour. It takes a bit of practice, but give it a try and you’ll get the hang of it in no time.

Look for high contrast
This is the key to getting it right. Black-and-white photography is inherently minimalist: contrasting areas of light and dark add dramatic impact. It could be something as simple as a light sky above a darker landscape or a white cup on a black tabletop. Shapes, textures and patterns become more apparent in black-and-white as well, and they can also yield an eye-catching sense of visual contrast.

Dial down the aperture and ISO
A smaller aperture and lower ISO will minimize noise, preserve details and help keep your images sharp – this holds true for colour photography too, of course, but is all the more essential when shooting black-and-white.

Keep an eye on the histogram
Negative space can be used to great advantage in your in black-and-white photography, but monitor your histogram to ensure that you’re keeping it balanced and not introducing overly blown-out elements.

By the same token, don’t be afraid to experiment with exposure. An overexposed or underexposed image can create interesting abstract effects in black-and-white photography.

Use lens filters
Lens filters used in colour photography, such as the circular polarizer and neutral density options, are just as effective – if not more – in black-and-white photography. Keep these in your kit when you go out to shoot and limit unwanted effects such as distracting reflections or to achieve various other desired effects.

Perhaps less obvious is the use of coloured filters in black-and-white photography, but they can be deployed to block a certain colour from reaching your sensor in order to make others stand out in sharper contrast, albeit rendered in shades of black and grey. A red filter will darken the sky in a monochromatic landscape shot, for instance, while an orange filter will help smoothen skin tones in a black-and-white portrait.

Consider using a monochrome camera
If you’re seriously passionate about black-and-white photography and unconcerned with budgetary constraints, a dedicated monochrome digital camera is a worthwhile investment. Here’s why:

In monochrome mode, a conventional colour sensor simply converts colour data into monochromatic information to create a black-and-white image. By contrast, a monochrome-specific image sensor, stripped of its colour-filter array, eliminates the RGB interpolation process and registers only the brightness gathered by each pixel, allowing for sharper and more luminous results, higher in resolution, deeper in detail and richer in gradation.

Leica led the way when it launched the aptly named M Monochrom in 2012, later followed by the 60MP Leica M11 Monochrome rangefinder in 2022. The marginally more affordable 47MP Leica Q Monochrom debuted in 2020.

Those cameras are clearly targeted to professional and high-end consumers, but Pentax now offers some serious competition with this year’s launch of the 25.7MP K-3 III Monochrome DSLR: this next-generation K-3 III retails for considerably less than the aforementioned Leica offerings and brings true monochrome digital photography within affordable reach for many.

Image Credits:

Cover Image: Pixabay

Axel Towers (Copenhagen) Photo: Joakim Nådell