Photographing exclusively in black and white for an extended period can fundamentally shift the way you approach image-making. It pushes you beyond habitual techniques, challenging you to see and create photographs differently.
Coming to you from Alex Kilbee with The Photographic Eye, this insightful video breaks down how dedicating a full year to monochrome photography profoundly impacted his perspective. Kilbee describes his initial excitement turning quickly to frustration when his first prints emerged disappointingly gray, not the striking images he imagined. However, instead of discouraging him, this early setback became a catalyst for learning key skills like the zone system, proper film development, and printing techniques. But the real value, according to Kilbee, was deeper than technical skills; it changed the way he perceived the world visually, forcing him to consider luminance, texture, and contrast rather than relying solely on color to tell stories.
One surprising insight from the video is Kilbee’s reflection on how black and white photography made him feel more authentic, as if engaging directly with photography’s historical roots. He acknowledges the potential pretension in viewing monochrome as somehow more "real," yet notes this mindset helped him connect more personally to his craft, motivating him to invest greater effort into mastering it. Another valuable point Kilbee makes is how working exclusively in black and white provided clarity and reduced noise, particularly important in today’s visually overwhelming digital world. By eliminating color, Kilbee explains, you can focus on essential aspects such as composition, lighting, and emotional resonance.
Kilbee also touches on how constraints, like being required to photograph something as mundane as a banana in monochrome, pushed creativity. Such limitations shift the goal from trying to impress broadly to challenging yourself creatively within defined boundaries. This focused creativity encourages deeper exploration and more deliberate photographic decisions, skills Kilbee found invaluable when he later returned to color photography. Interestingly, Kilbee notes that after his year of monochrome, the color images he made were noticeably more intentional and visually compelling because of the disciplined eye he developed while limited to black and white.
The video provides further practical advice for those interested in exploring monochrome photography themselves. Kilbee highlights how a simple tool like the proper filter helped him visualize scenes in luminance rather than color. This training in seeing tonal values clearly influenced his ability to find compelling photographs in everyday scenes that might otherwise seem uninspiring. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Kilbee.
