Black & White

Black & White

Black & White has a very storied and almost bigger-than-life history in photography. However, when used for its strengths it still has a very relevant place in modern photography. Some top level photographers have chosen it as their primary medium to great effect. It’s a medium that takes a large amount of study and practice to do at a high technical level.

B&W photography is a different beast than color, and not just technically, but also as a means of expression. To be a successful B&W photographer, you must learn to see in B&W; how the film/sensor is going to react to the colors and overall tonality of the scene. It’s somewhat paradoxical that color awareness is a part of B&W photography, but it absolutely is.

My preference is to use film for B&W imagery, because it still offers distinct advantages compared to digital, especially regarding darkroom prints from a negative. However, digital can be used to produce very high quality B&W images and prints, given proper capture and post-production techniques. I am experienced in both film and digital workflows.

Recommended equipment: Any film or digital camera with exposure control and a lens designed to take a screw-on filter (required for B&W film). 35mm and/or Medium Format (120/220).