The magic of black and white (2024)

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“Our lives at times seem a study in contrast… love & hate, birth & death, right & wrong… everything seen in absolute black & white. Too often we are not aware that it is the shades of grey that add depth and meaning to the starkness of those extremes.” Ansel Adams

In this month’s column, for a change, I will do my best to convince you as to why you should try making black and white pictures and in the subsequent month, I will share tips and tricks to shoot in black and white.

Black and white pictures evoke emotion. They add drama to an image. Black and white photos are not just a mode you set a camera on, it’s the way a picture connects to people. For many, black and white speaks louder than colour. Something about the image makes it closer to the heart of the viewer.

Many masters of photography, such as Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sebastião Salgado, Raghu Rai, Dorothea Lange and others, created their masterpieces in black and white (also because of certain limitations, since colour films were not as popular). After the 70s, colour photography became relatively cheap and available, yet, some of the best preferred black and white.

There are photographers who religiously shoot only in black and white and swear against using colour in their work. Several artists lean towards making their picture in black and white to create a better artistic expression. The advent of photography began in monochrome and with improving technology, colour process was introduced and has remained pretty much the same.

Pausing the moment

For viewers, black and white images give a feeling of nostalgia; it pauses the moment, makes the viewer look at the image closely, thereby urging him to spend more time with the picture. It omits any kind of bright colours and other distractions to the eyes, emphasising the subject and the environment of the picture. This also means not all photos will look good in black and white and not all black and white photos look great in colour too.

Photographer Eric Kim mentions in his website that you don’t shoot black and white because it is more “artsy”. You shoot black and white because it better communicates how you feel. Black and white pictures create a feeling of timelessness. Looking back at the work of masters in black and white has the same effect on viewers. It mutes the colours and and reveals the mystery of an era. It lets you to focus on the interplay of light and shadows, patterns and people. Emotions of the subject are best highlighted in black and white as it provides a stronger emotional connection without distractions.

Black and white images enhance the shades of gray; the vivid grey-scale tones, contrast, lighting and shadows are a perfect recipe to charm the viewer. This is not true only for fine art photography, but also for landscape, portraiture, still life, photojournalism, advertising and more.

If by now you are convinced and want to give a shot at this niche genre in photography, start off by switching the camera’s liveview setting to black and white. This helps you give a sense of the environment. Observe the highlights, shadows and midtones. Look for patterns near you or places you go to. Train your eyes to see things in black and white. It’s a great creative exercise.

The rule of thumb that I follow is to shoot in colour and later convert the image to black and white. This gives me good control over the image, especially the shadows and highlights. You can too, once you gauge how the colour picture will look in black and white.

For some people, black and white images connect deeply and the picture in itself tells a story without the need for words. Hopefully, these words will motivate you to take the plunge and help you embark on a black and white project of your own.

Next month, I will provide more tips to assist you. Until then, spend time experimenting and learn to see with new eyes!

Lenscraft is a monthly column on all things photography — tips, tricks and everything in between.

The writer is a photojournalist who tells stories with his pictures. Find his pictures on Twitter and Instagram @pushkarv