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Documentary Photography in Black & White

Monochrome lends an air of maturity and professionalism to a photo story, which is just one of the reasons it’s long been a favourite medium of photojournalists. Let’s look at why this is, and see how black & white can help your own visual storytelling.

There was once a time when all serious photojournalism was made in black & white, but this was done perhaps more for technical considerations rather than aesthetic choice. In the days of film photography, black & white films were usually more robust: tolerant of under- or overexposure and better able to withstand the heat and humidity of travel in far-flung locations.

Fast-forward to today and there is no such technical advantage, meaning that much more of the photojournalism we see is made in colour. Nevertheless, if there is one area of photography that works well in monochrome, it’s reportage photography. Sometimes, this is simply photographers questing after the same look that film photographers used to achieve, but there are also other huge creative advantages of excluding colour when telling stories with photos.

Distraction-Free Storytelling

One of the best reasons for using black & white in your photojournalism is that – as with every other genre of photography – without the ‘distraction’ of colour, we are free to concentrate on other aspects of the picture that the photographer might want the viewer to focus on.

When it comes to reportage photography, this is going to be your subject and their situation. Who they are, what they are doing, and the story that’s revolving around them. Without colour, this comes to the fore and lets us concentrate on the humanity of the moment.

© Valérie Jardin

© Valérie Jardin

Photographing Things You Can’t Touch

However, in reportage photography, removing the distraction of colour goes further than this. By photographing in black & white, we place emphasis on intangible details, like emotion and feeling. These are difficult details to convey in an image, but are crucial to producing evocative photo stories that capture the heart, as well as the eye.

© Valérie Jardin

© Valérie Jardin

Define Your Look

If you need any more convincing to try black & white reportage photography, then think about the look you can develop with it. Photographing subjects in monochrome instead of colour can really set you aside and make your pictures stand out from the pile. Because of its history, black & white can give your images a timeless look and feel, and even lend them an air of mystery.

Use your camera’s Film Simulation modes in combination with its highlight and shadow adjustments, grain tool and monochrome adjustment setting, if available. You’ll be able to make a bespoke black & white look all of your own.

Your Next Steps

• CHALLENGE Pick a topic in your neighbourhood or community and photograph it using black & white and no more than six final images. Post your results 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