Black and White Photography: Tips and Techniques

Black and white photography leaves only light, shadow, texture, and emotion to tell your story. It’s a deliberate choice that can bring timelessness and drama to your images, making it a valuable tool for portraits, landscapes, and more.

Coming to you from David Bergman with Adorama, this insightful video explains why black and white photography remains relevant. Bergman dives into the psychology of monochrome images, explaining that without color, the viewer’s attention is drawn directly to composition, lighting, and expression. He references masters like Richard Avedon and Irving Penn, who used black and white to focus entirely on their subject’s personality. By eliminating color, you can create images that feel both modern and classic.

Bergman also discusses when and why he chooses black and white. He emphasizes that every element in an image should serve a purpose. If the color doesn’t enhance the story, removing it can actually improve the impact. For example, he shares an image taken on a rainy day in Portland. The muted colors added nothing, but converting to black and white revealed details and contrast that made the photo frame-worthy. This approach forces you to think critically about what’s truly essential in your composition.

The video also covers practical tips for working with black and white. Bergman prefers to shoot in color and convert to black and white in post-processing, giving him more control over the final look. Tools like Lightroom, Photoshop, and Nik Silver Efex Pro offer powerful options for conversion, including simulated color filters. These filters mimic the effect of placing a red or green filter over your lens in the film days, allowing you to adjust the brightness and contrast of specific tones.

Lighting plays an even more critical role in black and white photography. Hard light creates stark contrasts and dramatic shadows, ideal for portraits that convey intensity or toughness. Soft light, on the other hand, produces smoother transitions and a more subtle mood. Bergman demonstrates this with two band portraits, showing how lighting alone can change the feel of an image.

Shooting in black and white also demands greater attention to detail. Without color to distract, flaws in composition, lighting, or focus are more obvious. Bergman explains that this challenge makes black and white photography particularly rewarding when everything comes together. It forces you to master the fundamentals and tell a cohesive story. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Bergman.