The Language of Black and White Photography

Black and white photography is not merely the absence of color. In the right hands, monochrome pictures artistically blend shapes and tones to help us see life more clearly.

We believe black and white photos are truthful even though the world is in color. The feeling is that we’ve stripped away all the distractions and are left with the essence of a subject.

Try to imagine Alfred Eisenstaedt’s “V-J Day in Times Square” as a color image. As a monochrome, there’s the crisp white of the woman’s dress against the dark tones of the sailor’s uniform. The lyrical curve of her body is firmly embraced by the man. There is other activity in the image, but we only notice it as supporting elements. We are riveted on the subject.

Anyone who has visited Times Square knows that it is a cacophony of luminosity. And if you look at a color recreation of the shot, it’s not the same. It’s cluttered. Black and white photography is the very definition of less is more. We see what is important.

So how do we distill our images to elevate them?

First, view the world in black and white. Every camera and smartphone has a monochrome mode that allows us to compose and capture without color. By actually seeing the transformation in real time, we can better choose compelling subjects and compose…