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Black and white was once the only means we had to communicate, photographically. That was long before most of us got involved with it. But for some of us, B&W is how we started off in photography, and how we saw our images in print. But since the beginning of photography, black and white has been a very romantic medium. That romance continues to this day, with black and white easier and simpler to do than ever. And yet, for some, it's just as complicated and difficult as ever. Perhaps this will give you some ideas to advance your black and white photography.
Editor's Note: This is a guest blogpost by Moose Peterson
Watch B&W Movies like Casa Blanca

I'm a huge fan of B&W movies from the 40s and 50s! I watch the plot, but even more so, I watch the lighting! They couldn't use color to pull our attention around; they had to light to do that, using shades to tell their story. Mystery, death, love, hate, jealousy-they said them all with light! You can watch and learn a lot about B&W photography from these old movies. Keep in mind that everyone watches them. The public has certain preconceived visual concepts because of them. Learn them, explore them, and exploit them, and you can vastly improve your B&W photography!

Contrast is Your Friend!

Traditionally, black and white photography has been a contrasty medium. In color photography, big contrast is often discouraged. In the days of film, we often would attach a red filter when shooting black and white, just to increase the contrast. In this example, because of the large boulder, the bald skies of Alabama Hills go very dark, thus making the boulder visibly pop. Looking under the boulder, you can see the heavy shadow, telling you it's a contrasty condition.

Flat Light has Lots to Offer

And the exact opposite is true as well! Flat light, or light which has no giant range of exposure, can make for dramatic B&W images. Typically, though, this requires that you look at the elements, and find one or more deep blacks that grab the eye. In this case, the falling snow is flattening out the light, though the snow on the ground sets the stage. The wet, black road in the center of the frame takes the eye through the image, and then the speckles of black bring the eye back down. Standing there, you wouldn't have thought there was a photo, and that's because of the flat light.

Black Makes White Brighter

This is a favorite trick of mine: making the darks darker so the lights appear brighter. By association-and nothing else-when we make darks go darker, the mind just assumes the other elements have to be brighter, even though in reality they are not. This downpour over Bridgeport Reservoir is an example of that. In this case, I knew what was possible in the darkroom that would pull that black down, making that small microburst really pop. This is not what I saw standing there. It was a pretty even gray sky. The only difference is that the microburst was reflecting light, and the background was not. That's all that was required to make it pop in post.

Graphics Make for Bigger Drama

I just love vanishing lines! When you can include those in any B&W photo, you have a visually powerful image. In this case, with this little rail station in Upper NY, the architecture lends itself perfectly to the drama of B&W. The long, narrow construction, the gingerbread pattern, and the bright rails leading off into the distance take the eye to the stormy skies, which bring you right back to the front of the station. Because it's by the roof line, the bright spot in the sky helps with the competing pattern of the gingerbread.

Gotta Have a Clean White and a Clean Black

If there is one thing you need in a B&W photo, if nothing else, it is a clean white and a clean black. Is this a rule? No, it is merely a starting point in your thinking, capturing and finishing a photo. Without a clean black and a clean white, you have what is called a "muddy" image. This means you simply have a bunch of shades of gray. In this photo of the Bodie Lighthouse, the only clean white is the post of light (and that was created in post), and the only clean black is the roof. But that's enough for you to notice all of the texture in the image. If your B&W images just don't seem to have real zing, it could simply be a case of no clean blacks and no clean whites.

Exposure is Your Friend

"Seeing" (thinking) in B&W is a very common difficulty for photographers. This stands to reason, since we live in a color world. Many B&W images are around you if you just think underexposure. This shot, taken at Cliff House in San Francisco, was an off-the-hip shot as we were walking in to breakfast. It was basically a bright morning, with the storm quickly heading east. I saw that great cloud shape in the sky, and knew I wanted the shot. If I exposed normally, the sky would have been blown out and the sand a medium gray. But by underexposing 2.5 stops, I pulled the sky to gray, the beach went black, and the surf stayed white, leading the eye through the frame.

Filters Make it Easier

In the game of black and white photography, filters still make a world of difference! The polarizer can be used, unconventionally, to darken the sky, which in B&W creates big-time black drama. The split grad can be used for the same purpose, as you see in this photo of Ausable Chasm in NY. The mist from the falls was the photo, but to bring this out, its brightness needed to be set against something dark. By using a .9 (3 stop) split grad turned severely to the left, darkening the left corner, the mist could visually pop. There is no doubt that you have to think B&W when you do this, because you wouldn't have taken the photo if the end results were to be in color. How do you develop an eye to see this? You do it a lot, and learn from you successes as well as your failures. If you don't have failures, you know you're not trying!

Silver Efex Pro

Polycontrast in a slider-that's how I think of Nik's Silver Efex Pro 2! This is the ONLY software I use to create my B&W images. Why? It's so bloody simple, effective and beautiful. And here's the secret: the Structure! It's a slider in the program, and when taken to the range of the 80s, it works magic like nothing else! There isn't a photo here that hasn't been kissed by the beauty of Structure to make the B&W magic happen. And here's the thing-until you own Silver Efex Pro 2 and you use Structure, you have no way of knowing when you're shooting what will or won't make a great photo. If there is ONE trick, technique, tool-anything I can recommend to you to improve your black and white photography, this is it!

Levels & Curves!

Small subtleties add up to big drama! Every one of these photos has seen Photoshop CS6, and that was to add small subtleties you can't do otherwise. It could be the slight darkening of a cloud to make the cloud next to it brighter, using Curves and the Brush. It could be a slight move in Levels to push some blacks to deep black. You might need to lighten a God beam, or darken the side of a rock. These small, fine tunings that we can't do any other way, are a must in making the gorgeous black and white photo!

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10 Tips on How to Create Better Black & White Images

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Black and white was once the only means we had to communicate, photographically. That was long before most of us got involved with it. But for some of us, B&W is how we started off in photography, and how we saw our images in print.

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Why would you choose to create black and white photographs in the era of digital cameras that are capable of accurately capturing millions upon millions of colors? Black and white photography seems to be a constant in the history of the medium, with color technology only propagating itself into wide use around halfway between Nicéphore Niépce's first heliograph and today.

There's a lot of debate on both sides of the argument, but for me and many others it's a simple matter of aesthetics. A good black and white treatment has a way of stripping unneeded information from an image, helping you to emphasize specific elements to your viewer without the distractions color can provide.

Portrait photography is a genre where black and white images can really shine. Like any technique, there are considerations that you should regard that can help to make sure your images have the most impact.

1 - Start with black and white in mind

For many photographers, black and white is more than a creative choice at the post-production stage; it's a mindset. If you can start the creation of an image knowing that you intend it to be black and white, you can take steps to ensure that all of the elements of a good monochrome image are in place before you press the shutter. Things like contrast in tonality, contrast in lighting, and appropriate expressions from your subjects are all elements that are difficult, if not impossible, to fix after an image is taken.

If you have trouble imagining how an image may look in black and white, try setting your camera to a monochrome setting. While it isn't recommended to do this for a final image, as long as you shoot in RAW file format, then all of your image's color data will still be present in the file, and Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw will reset the photo back to color once it's imported. Doing this will allow you to have an idea of how an image will work in black and white, while still providing the highest amount of versatility in post-production.

2 - The eyes are more important than ever

The most important part of the majority of portraits are the eyes. They are usually the focal point that the rest of your image is built around. This is especially true with black and white. With the omission of color, a black and white image often breaks down into graphic forms and shapes. Eyes are shapes that everyone recognizes and they draw immediate focus from your viewers. Make sure that your subject's eyes are well lit, and focus is critical.

3 - Expressions are emphasized

Like the eyes, other facial features become more prominent in a black and white portrait. You can use this to your advantage by conveying emotion in your images. Even tiny changes in your subject's expression can make a difference. Things like a raised eyebrow, a twitch at the corner of a mouth, and smile lines under the eyes can all be used to great effect.

Here is an exercise you can do with your portrait subjects to get a mixture of great expressions. Prepare a list of words or phrases and ask them to react to how they feel to each one. The words you choose can be simple descriptors of emotion like: love, sad, joy, angry and melancholy. For more diverse expressions try more abstract words, or funny ones like: cheeseburger, politics, Teletubbies or Hulk smash. As a bonus, this sometimes works extremely well to lighten the mood when you have a subject who's tense or nervous during a sitting.

4 - Lighting considerations

When it comes to lighting a black and white portrait image, there are no hard and fast rules. If you like high contrast images with hard gradations in tone, then choose a harder source of light. If you like soft tones and subtler images, then you want a softer light source.

It's all about personal preference here. If you're not sure what yours is, try finding the first ten black and white portraits that stand out to you the most and see if you can deconstruct them in terms of lighting.

5 - Add contrast with light

If you're going to create high contrast black and white photos, the best advice is to add it with light, not in Photoshop. Small global adjustments are okay and won't hurt your images, but definitely do not crank the contrast slider to 100. Try to limit it between +15/-15. For local adjustments, use a dodging and burning technique of your choice. The key point in this, and all post-production, is subtlety.

6 - You can't save a bad image with black and white

If you're working on an image that you feel isn't up to scratch and you ask yourself if it will work in black and white, the answer is probably no. A black and white treatment will often emphasize the flaws that made you question the image in the first place, and a bad photo is a bad photo regardless of its color scheme or lack thereof.

7 - Choose black and white in spite of color

Certain subjects scream out to be shot in black and white. Other subjects may not be so obvious. Bright, punchy colors obviously make for vivid color photos, but by removing the color element you can completely change how a subject or scene is perceived. When you want to ensure your viewer is focused on a particular element, color as a graphic element, can become a distraction. Try removing it.

This can be a difficult concept to understand without seeing it, so I have included an example of a color version of one the images above. Ask yourself: How did your perception of the photos change? What did you notice first in each of the images? Do you feel differently or think differently of it when you view it in color than in black and white?

Hopefully, you can see that even though bold colors can make for vivid imagery, their absence can as well.

If you're new to black and white photography, do remember that these are guides and not rules. If you need to stray from them to get the result you're after, do so without hesitation.

Finally, if you try black and white and you like it: welcome to the addiction!

Editor's Note: This is one of a series of articles this week featuring black and white photography tips. Look for earlier ones below and more daily over the next week.

John McIntire is a portrait photographer currently living in the UK. He studied commercial photography at Leeds Metropolitan University. He is obsessive with photography and is always trying to learn something new. You can find him on Instagram as@johnwhitneyphoto for portraits and @macjw2 for landscapes and travel.

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7 Tips for Black and White Portrait Photography

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Why would you choose to create black and white photographs in the era of digital cameras that are capable of accurately capturing millions upon millions of colors? Black and white photography seems to be a constant in the history of the medium, with color technology only propagating itself into wide use around halfway between Nicéphore ...

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The timeless quality of black and white photography makes it a must-try subject for any photographer to try.

In our expert guide, we'll show you how to see in mono, choose your subjects, set up your camera and then explore how simple but effective adjustments in Photoshop or Lightroom can make your images really stand out.

While it's now simpler than ever to convert your images to black and white, especially now with the host of smartphone apps like Instagram that offer an array of filters, for truly impressive results it pays to think about how and what you shoot, and then know how to use your photo editing software's powerful tools to get the most from your shots.

Along with our best black and white photography tips, we'll reveal how to get creative with high-contrast graphic compositions and create moody landscapes, and show you how dramatic high- and low-key effects can be used to transform your still life photography and portrait photography.

How to see in black and white

When it comes to black-and-white imagery, being able to 'see' how your final shot will look is a key skill. It's important to understand how the color image you see through your camera's viewfinder or on the rear screen will translate into a striking monochrome image. To get the best results, you have to look beyond the colours, and instead try to visualise how a shot's shapes, textures and tones will be recorded.

The success of your black-and-white shots relies on several different factors, but the main thing to look out for is a main subject that will appear in a significantly different shade of grey to the background. Then look out for subtleties of tone and texture that will add depth to your images.

Look beyond colors, and try to visualise how shapes, textures and tones will be recorded

It's tempting to think that white balance doesn't matter if you're going to remove the color, but because the success of any conversion relies on successfully translating colors into attractive tones, it's important to capture an image without any colour casts.

Recognising potential shots when out in the field can take practice, so why not try converting some of your existing images to black and white to get a better feel for what will work.

Good subjects for black and white photography

When you use photo-editing software to remove the color from an image you instantly lose one element that the viewer relies on to interpret the scene. So other elements become even more important for successful black and white images.

Here's a run-down of the most common elements that you should look for when identifying a suitable subject for the black-and-white treatment. Remember that these elements can be used individually, or even combined to produce marvellous mono images with clout.

Bad subjects for black and white photography

There's no absolute right or wrong when it comes to choosing a subject for black and white photography, but you'll come across subjects and scenes that rely on colour for their impact, and also lighting conditions that don't work well in monochrome.

Here are some examples of what to avoid when looking for suitable subjects for black and white photography.

1. Blank skies

It's easy to think that because you don't need bright colors you can shoot black and white photography in any light or in any weather.

It's certainly true that with some skilful conversion and adjustment in Photoshop post-shoot you can add drama , but the sturdier the building blocks the better your finished image will be.

So, unless you're trying to create a minimalist image it's worth taking the time to capture maximum detail in the best lighting conditions possible.

2. Safeguarding mood

If the scene you're shooting relies on color for mood or impact, chances are you'll be better off keeping the image in color, as in our mushroom image above. Sunrise or sunset shots are another good example; you should always ask yourself whether the image loses some impact without the subtle hues.

3. Color contrasts

Subjects that rely on contrasting colors - such as a purple crocus against a green lawn - generally don't work well in black and white. This is because the two colors will end up looking similar in tone when converted.

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How to master black and white photography

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The timeless quality of black and white photography makes it a must-try subject for any photographer to try. In our expert guide, we'll show you how to see in mono, choose your subjects, set up your camera and then explore how simple but effective adjustments in Photoshop or Lightroom can make your images really stand out.

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Just because a black and white photo seems colorless, you shouldn't think that color is irrelevant to a monochromatic photo. Choosing to present an image in black and white can call attention to the colors of the subject in a way that is all the more intense and powerful because it is implied and subtle.

Generally, if you want to make effective monochromatic photos, you must learn to think in black and white. To think in black and white, you should start by changing the way you look at the world through your viewfinder or LCD. (See "Using In-Camera Black and White for Pre-visualization" below.) The goal is to see the world in terms of implied colors, and also to make careful note of the gradations of gray in your subject.

It's quite possible for a black and white photo to show a range of grayscale gradations from pure white to absolute black. In fact, most strong black and white images include this entire range. However, you'll observe that most good color photos (with some notable exceptions) do not-because pure white would appear as a highlight blow out, and pure black as impenetrable shadow. Put simply, most color photos don't exhibit as great a range of grayscale tones as good black and white photos.

The clear implication is that one thing you should be looking for in your black and white imagery is a large grayscale range. Put another way, learning to see in black and white means learning to see contrast before everything else.

The traditional building blocks of photographic composition are shape, design, and form. When you are working in black and white, these building blocks are not obscured by an attractive scrim of color-so the edge becomes paramount.

Good black and white compositions rely on the treatment of the edge, whether it is presented in a black-on-white composition or in the context of white on black. In either case, the edge can be simple or graduated and complex.

The edge matters! Correct use of an edge in a black and white composition leads to the interplay of positive and negative space, and can present an element that is simply not present in a color image.

Unfortunately, in real life it can be hard to find edges that intervene between light and dark areas in a photo. Finding these edges takes something special-the ability to see in black and white. While there are no simple rules about what kind of subjects work best in monochrome, here are some of the areas in which I specifically look for black and white imagery, or think about when I create this kind of photo:

* The predominance of light: Photos that are mostly about light in as pure a form as possible can lend themselves to monochromatic treatments.

* Shadow play: Strong and compelling shadows are a natural subject for black and white.

* Compositions with little natural color: If your subject is interesting, but has little color variation, perhaps because one color strongly predominates, then it may be a natural for monochromatic treatment.

* Heed the range between light and dark: If a subject exhibits an extreme range of lights and darks, this may be objectionable in a color image, but may work well in black and white.

* Inherently graphic: Intentionally omitting the color is an act of abstraction, and it is therefore not surprising that many images with abstract characteristics-for example, where the subject matter is not entirely clear-work well in black and white.

* Simplicity: An image without color is likely to be perceived as a simpler image than one with color, so one should look for compositions where simplicity is an important virtue.

* "Good bones": Black and white imagery displays the underlying composition for all the world to see in a way that does not usually occur in color photos; therefore, compelling compositional "cheek bones" are an important attribute of good black and white.

* Patterns: Repetitive patterns can present the opportunity for abstraction that can yield interesting monochromatic compositions.

* Grayscale subtlety: Subjects with many subtle layers of gray may work particularly well in black and white.
Using In-Camera Black and White for Pre-visualization
One technique that can be useful to help you view the world in black and white when you first begin to intentionally make monochromatic imagery is to use the in-camera capabilities of your camera for pre-visualization. This works in two ways:

* You can use a black and white "preset" in your camera to make a monochromatic image-this is usually created from a copy of an image you have already shot. Note that I am not suggesting you use this copy as a final image, but it can be helpful to review to get an idea of how the black and white version might turn out.

* Depending on your camera, you can use "Live View" combined with a black and white preset to review potential monochromatic images on your LCD.

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Finding Subjects that Work in Black and White Photography

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Just because a black and white photo seems colorless, you shouldn't think that color is irrelevant to a monochromatic photo. Choosing to present an image in black and white can call attention to the colors of the subject in a way that is all the more intense and powerful because it is implied and subtle.

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Thanks to digital technology, monochrome photography is easier today than ever before. Check out these six black and white photography tips for getting great results.

1. Shoot RAW + JPEG

The best monochrome conversions are made by editing raw files which have the full colour information, but if you shoot raw and JPEG files simultaneously and set the camera to its monochrome Picture Style/Picture Control/Film Simulation mode you get an indication of how the image will look in black and white.

As many photographers struggle to visualise a scene in black and white, these monochrome modes are an invaluable tool that will help with composition and scene assessment.

Many cameras are also capable of producing decent in-camera monochrome images these days and it's worth experimenting with image parameters (usually contrast, sharpness, filter effects and toning) to find a look that you like.

Because compact system cameras and compact cameras show the scene seen by the sensor with camera settings applied, users of these cameras are able to preview the monochrome image in the electronic viewfinder or on rear screen before taking the shot.

DSLR users can also do this if they activate their camera's live view system, but the usually slower responses mean that many will find it preferable or check the image on the screen post-capture.

2. Look for Contrast, Shape and Texture

The complimentary and opposing colours that bring a colour image to life are all reduced to black and white or shades of grey in a monochrome image and you have to look for tonal contrast to make a shot stand out.

In colour photography, for example, your eye would immediately be drawn to a red object on a green background, but in monochrome photography these two areas are likely to have the same brightness, so the image looks flat and dull straight from the camera.

Fortunately, it's possible to work adjust the brightness of these two colours separately to introduce some contrast. However, a good starting point is to look for scenes with tonal contrast.

There are always exceptions, but as a general rule look for scenes that contain some strong blacks and whites.

This can be achieved by the light or by the brightness (or tone) of the objects in the scene as well as the exposure settings that you use. The brightness of the bark of a silver birch tree for example, could inject some contrast (and interest) in to a woodland scene.

Setting the exposure for these brighter areas also makes the shadows darker, so the highlights stand out even more. Look for shapes, patterns and textures in a scene and move around to find the best composition.

3. Try Long Exposure

Long exposure shots can work really well in monochrome photography, especially where there's moving water or clouds.

During the exposure the highlights of the water, for example, are recorded across a wider area than they would with a short exposure and this can help enhance tonal contrast.

The blurring of the movement also adds textural contrast with any solid objects in the frame. If necessary, use a neutral density filter such as Lee Filters' Big Stopper or Little Stopper to reduce exposure and extend shutter speed (by 10 and 4 stops respectively).

Naturally, when exposures extend beyond about 1/60 sec a tripod is required to keep the camera still and avoid blurring. It's also advisable to use a remote release and mirror lock-up to minimise vibration and produce super-sharp images.

4. Use Filters

Graduated neutral density (AKA ND grad) and polarizing filters are just as useful in monochrome photography as they are in colour. In fact, because they manipulate image contrast they are arguably more useful.

An ND grad is helpful when you want to retain detail in a bright sky while a polarizing filter can be used to reduce reflections and boost contrast. Alternatively, consider taking two or more shots with different exposures to create a high dynamic range (HDR) composite.

Don't be afraid to use a ND grad with a standard neural density filter if the sky is brighter than the foreground in a long exposure shot.

Coloured filters, which are an essential tool for monochrome film photographers, can also be useful for manipulating contrast in digital images.

They work by darkening objects of their opposite colour while lightening objects of their own. An orange filter, for example, will darken the blue of the sky while a green one will lighten foliage.

5. Take Control

Although coloured filters can still be used to manipulate contrast when shooting digital black and white images, it's more common to save this work until the processing stage.

Until a few years ago Photoshop's Channel Mixer was the preferred means of turning colour images monochrome, but now Adobe Camera Raw has more powerful tools (in the HSL/Grayscale tab) that allow you to adjust the brightness of eight individual colours that make up the image.

It's possible to adjust one of these colours to make it anything from white to black with the sliding control.

However, it's important to keep an eye on the whole image when adjusting a particular colour as subtle gradations can become unnatural looking.

And adjusting the brightness of a red or pink shirt with the red sliding control, for instance, will have an impact on the model's skin, especially the lips.

The Levels and Curves controls can also be used to manipulate tonal range and contrast, but the HSL/Grayscale controls allow you to create separation between objects of the same brightness but with different colours.

6. Dodge and Burn

Dodging and burning is a technique that comes from the traditional darkroom and is usually used to burn in or darken highlights and hold back (brighten) shadows.

Photoshop's Dodge and Burn tools allow a level of control that film photographers could only dream of because you can target the highlights, shadows or mid-tones with both.

This means that you can use the Burn tool to darken highlights when they are too bright, or the Dodge tool to brighten them to increase local contrast.

It's a great way of giving a sense of greater sharpness and enhancing texture.

Plus, because you can set the opacity of the tools, you can build up their effect gradually so the impact is subtle and there are no hard edges.
About the author: Jeff Meyer is the editor of PhotoVenture, a photography blog for everything post-capture - improving photos, image management, sharing and more. This article originally appeared here.

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6 Black and White Photography Tips for Monochrome Enthusiasts

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Thanks to digital technology, monochrome photography is easier today than ever before. Check out these six black and white photography tips for getting great results. 1.

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Black and white photography can give certain scenes a striking, timeless quality when done well. Not every shot will work in B&W, just like certain shots look more beautiful in monochrome than in color. To get the best B&W photos, try planning for that difference and consider the following three tips:

1. Use light and shadow to your advantage.

Light and shadow become more obvious when color is absent. Make sure you plan for that difference and turn it into a strength. For example, try creating a strong contrast between darkness and light. The darker the shadows are, the brighter your light will look.

2. Focus on texture and shape.

Like light and shadow, texture and shape tend to be more important in B&W photos. You no longer have color to lead the viewer's eye; you need interesting curves, curious shapes, and/or great texture instead.

3. Aim for clarity.

Color photos have a wide palette of color and shading, while black and white photos look best when there's a clear 'black' and 'white' to guide the viewer. Otherwise, you end up with a vague, muddy-looking gray image.

Below are some excellent examples of black and white photography selected from our Flickr group. Use these photos as inspiration for your own work, and post your best shots in the group so we can appreciate them!

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60 Inspiring Examples of Black and White Photography

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Black and white photography can give certain scenes a striking, timeless quality when done well. Not every shot will work in B&W, just like certain shots look more beautiful in monochrome than in color. To get the best B&W photos, try planning for that difference and consider the following three tips: Light and shadow become more obvious when color is absent.

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About The Author

Vitaly Friedman loves beautiful content and doesn't like to give in easily. When he is not writing or speaking at a conference, he's most probably running ... More about Vitaly...

If you've been following Smashing Magazine for a while, you know that almost all posts from the Monday Inspiration series are pretty colorful and eye-catching. This post is an exception. Compared to colorful designs where catchy colors help the design to stand out, in black-and-white designs the ability to stand out depends only on its ability to communicate rather than on its appealing visual presentation.

If you've been following Smashing Magazine for a while, you know that almost all posts from the Monday Inspiration series are pretty colorful and eye-catching. This post is an exception. Compared to colorful designs where catchy colors help the design to stand out, in black-and-white designs the ability to stand out depends only on its ability to communicate rather than on its appealing visual presentation.

Indeed, beautiful black and white photography doesn't attract with its play of colors. Here close attention to composition, lighting, perspective and the context it is shot in are important. Hence, before considering the photos presented below please prepare some patience and time. This post presents some truly excellent examples of beautiful black-and-white photography.

Notice: this post isn't supposed to showcase the best black-and-white-photos of world's best photographers; please see it as a modest attempt to inspire designers for experimenting with black and white instead of using a variety of vibrant colors all the time. Hopefully, everybody will find something interesting and unusual for herself or himself.

Further Reading on SmashingMag:

Meet Smashing Book 6 with everything from design systems and accessible single-page apps to CSS Custom Properties, Grid, Service Workers, performance, AR/VR and responsive art direction. New frontiers in front-end and UX with Marcy Sutton, Harry Roberts, Laura Elizabeth and many others.

Table of Contents →

All photos belong to the respective owners.

Beautiful Black-And-White-Photography

In her legendary photos Toni Frissell impresses with a strong trend toward surrealism or realism. The photo presented below, although in black and white, is both extremely sharp and clear. To achieve such level of clarity in black and white is extremely hard.

Alin Ciortea

Alin Ciortea presents examples of modern street photography. In black and white, of course.

Birds

Unfortunately, the photographer is unknown. The photo seems to be taken at exact the right moment from exactly the right angle with a perfect lighting. Black and white can be powerful as well.

This photo, titled Candy Cigarette, not just displays something, it tells a story. It is both emotional and beautiful. This is what the originality of black-and-white-photography is all about.

Larry Towell

This shot was taken in El Salvador. Child with star mask during "Day Of The Dead". Other child in background rolls tire for repair in garage where he works at an adult's job. The photo is full of tiredness and stubbornness. Simple motif conveying strong emotions.

Aneta Kowalczyk

Aneta Kowalczyk makes portrait photography. Some of her photos are provoking, some are strange and some are extremely beautiful. The example below displays the beautiful side of black and white photography.

Gary Winogrand

Taking a shot just at the right moment.

Larry Louie

Woman Of Tibet. Realism at its best. Awarded with International Photography Awards in 2007.

Tour Eiffel: extraordinary contrast and perspective. Strong, clean and very precise shot.

Excellent lighting.

One of the most famous contemporary black and white photographers. Classic!

Maurizio Polese

Polese's works pay close attention to small, tiny details. The tones are perfects and compositions are beautiful which is why the photos are presented in this post. Notice the sharp contrast and the lighting at the first image below and the sharp pathway leading to the light in the second one.

Ten extraordinary black and white photographs sent to the Wired.com editorial by its readers.

Michele Clement

Artistic yet beautiful and extremely powerful shot. Michele Clement is the winner of Black & White Spider Awards 2007 in category "Outstanding Achievement".

This photo has been taken in South Crillon Glacier, Washburn.

Abbas

Iranian film director Abbas Kiarostami on the hills surrounding the capital, where his film "Taste of Cherry", which was co-awarded the Golden Palm in Cannes 1997, was shot.

Patrick Figaj

Ceremony.

Jack Radcliffe

Alison's life in black and white photos. The significance of these pictures emerges in retrospect. "When my daughter Alison was born, in the tradition of a new parent, I began to photograph her, initially in a separate and private body of work. However, in the process of documenting Alison's growth, I developed a passionate interest in human relationships and capturing intimate moments in the lives of family and friends."

Arndt Laude

Alignment. Sometiems all it takes is to be at the right place in the right moment and take a shot under the right angle. That's what happened here.

Staircase is an example of Gibson's high-contrast, minimalist black and white compositions have influenced a generation of photographers. By isolating the essential elements of a scene, his pictures show a style that is unique and immediately recognizable. [via]

Erwitt, an advertising and journalistic photographer known for his black and white candid shots of ironic and absurd situations within everyday settings - the master of the "indecisive moment".

Roy Mckeown

Snowy Sheep.

Adam Hinton

Two Warehouses.

Rodney Smith

Rodney Smith has his own understanding of professional black-and-white-photography. Unusual, abstract and surrealistic works.

Drole Deciel

Smiley.

Shazeen Samad

Simple yet excellent composition. This photo manages not just to show something, but to capture a moment of life in all its beauty and vividness.

Berk-plage - France. What a sky! A really strange squadron: octopus, teddy bear and skates.

Pedro Meyer

Pedro Meyer shows the life of people across the globe. This photo was taken in Rio De Janeiro.

Mitch Dobrowner is famous due to his Earth photos.

Robertino Nikolic

lighting plays with geometry. Or geometry plays with lighting? The winner of the Black & White Spider Awards 2007.

Unknown

Capturing the right moment at the right point of time.

Perfect timing, perfect lighting. A dreamy shot.

That's a quite unusual perspective for a photograph.

Santosh Korthiwada

"No peeping please!" Very powerful, emotional and somehow sad photo.

Rui Palha photographs simple people in simple situations. Result: extraordinary photos of simple things surrounding our life.

Straws.

Lauren

Two Tree Hill. The composition looks very surreal, yet powerful and beautiful.

Ventana XIV. Geometric minimalism at its best.

Maurizio Polese

Escape. Unusual angle, unusual perspective.

Jana Stolzer

Nameless.

Vega Omer

Struggling to survive.

Dog snout. Sometimes the moments from our life are the most valuable moments we should enjoy and keep in mind.

Last Click

An illustrative summary of iconic pictures with their pairs of Balakov's Lego figure pictures which are reconstructing famous moments in the history of mankind.

I heart you. Do you see what we see?

Sources and Resources

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If you've been following Smashing Magazine for a while, you know that almost all posts from the [Monday Inspiration series](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/category/monday-inspiration/) are pretty colorful and eye-catching. This post is an exception. Compared to colorful designs where catchy colors help the design to stand out, in black-and-white designs the ability to stand out depends only on its ability to communicate rather than on its appealing visual presentation.

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Black and White Selection | David Lloyd Wildlife Photography

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Black & White Selection A selection of black and white pictures taken between 2009 and 2013. All of these pictures are currently available to purchase as

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Black & White Photography is one of the oldest forms of photography. For many decades, black and white photography ruled the scene even when colors were introduced. In the fine arts industry, monochrome prints have a propensity to command the highest prices. Many of us are still stunned by the purity and beauty of black and white photography.

There are a lot of similarities between animal photography and hunting. You have to sneak up on them; you got to have patience to capture the perfect moment. A stunning animal image can be priceless, timeless and compelling at the same time. Today we are going to show you some examples of the beauty of black and white photography through photographing various animals. Enjoy!

More related entries:

Full list after jump.

25 Beautiful Animal Black & White Photos

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Beautiful Black And White Photography Of Animals

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Black & White Photography is one of the oldest forms of photography. For many decades, black and white photography ruled the scene even when colors were introduced. In the fine arts industry, monochrome prints have a propensity to command the highest prices. Many of us are still stunned by the purity and beauty of black and white photography.

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Find and save ideas about Black white photography on Pinterest, the world's catalog of ideas.