How To Master Black And White Photography

Mike Bedford reveals the secrets of good black and white photography, an art form that stands alongside its more colourful counterpart.

- Mike Bedford

Eastman Kodak introduced Kodachrome, the first mass market colour film, in 1935. Yet this didn’t relegate black and white photography to the history books. Take, for example, Ansel Adams, one of the best-known landscape photographers. He might have started his career before colour film became widely available, but his work continued into the 1970s and his most recognisable photos are black and white.

The artistic potential of this media isn’t lost on many modern-day photographers, who recognise its scope for dramatic effects. If you want a bit more evidence, you’ll find no shortage of landscape photo libraries offering black and white, while some such as www.davebutcher. co.uk specialise in monochrome exclusively. It’s not just landscape photographers who are drawn to this form of photography either. Wedding photographers often offer back and white as part of the mix, for example.

At first sight, it might seem that photographing in monochrome is easy, and certainly no more challenging than working in colour. However, it’s an art form in its own right and you’re not going to get the best from this media without learning how to master it. Ultimately, the best way to become an expert is to have lots of practice and hone your skills over time.

If you’re inspired to try your hand at black and white photography, though, there are some key skills that you’ll need to acquire, and our aim here is to introduce you to these basic principles and techniques.