> 3 minute read

How to See in Black & White

The timeless appeal of black & white photography owes much to its stripped-back, minimalist nature, but predicting which scenes will work best in monochrome requires practice. Let’s look at how to make it work for you.

Even though black & white photography has been around since the invention of the camera, its popularity shows no signs of diminishing. Whether you make portraits, landscapes, action, or wildlife, monochrome images have a certain something about them that fascinates us and keeps us coming back for more.

While colour photography is very literal and depicts the world as it really is, black & white lets us frame a more artistic depiction of what’s around us. Without the distraction of colour, we are free to concentrate on elements like shape, pattern, and texture.

Take, for example, this pair of images. What’s the first thing you see in the colour photograph? The amazing orange sofa at the bottom of the frame? Now flick to the black & white picture and ask yourself the same question. We bet your attention is now drawn to the texture of the thousands of books in the background.

With black & white, we can take a step away from reality towards a more creative interpretation of what we see. And while seeing in black & white (ie recognising which scenes will work well without colour) is a skill in itself, there are some things you can do while you’re learning to do this.

In landscape photography, look for scenes that contain bold shapes, like the curve of a wooden fence in the sand dunes, or the lead-in line created by a road snaking its way through the foreground. Contrast is important, too, and can help you create minimalist compositions that are beautiful because of their simplicity. A lone tree in the snow or the white spray of a waterfall in front of black rocks.

When creating portraits in black & white, less is definitely more. Without the distraction of colour, we are free to concentrate on the subject’s face and expression – including any striking features they might have, like freckles, wrinkles, or piercings. Keep the rest of the frame simple and don’t let anything get in the way of this. Create contrast with side lighting from a single light source and try to place light-toned subjects against a dark background, and darker subjects against a light background.

You can previsualise what a scene will look like in black & white by composing with your camera set to one of its black & white Film Simulation modes – MONOCHROME or ACROS. The colour-free view on the screen and in the viewfinder will show exactly what you’re getting. In addition to this, be sure that you photograph in the RAW+JPEG format. By doing this, the mono viewfinder/screen image will help you think about the composition and design of the image you’re making, but if you really don’t like the resulting black & white image, you’ll still have the colour RAW file as a backup.

Your Next Steps

• CHALLENGE Photograph the street where you live in just five black & white photos, trying to capture its essence and personality in a stripped-back, minimalist way. Post your images to social media with the hashtag #learnwithfujifilm and #blackandwhite. You can also submit your work here for a chance to be featured on our social media channels.
• LEARN Download our booklet See the World in Black and White with FUJIFILM X Series