Black and White Photography: Reasons to Edit in Black and White

Visual storytellers and creatives are always trying to get the best edit possible. The right contrast, the right tones, and the right "look" lets you stand out in a crowd. Maybe you're trying to nail down your individual editing style to create a beautiful Instagram feed. Or maybe you've been experimenting with new tones as you expand your photography skills. 

Enter black and white photography - a highly under-utilized style that you're probably not making use of. Here are a few of the most compelling reasons to start using the power of black and white photography today.

Classic Yet Always Current

Black and white photography instantly brings about a sense of timelessness. It allows us to communicate in a way that color photography sometimes doesn't. By removing the color element in your photography, you strip down the distracting parts and place the focus immediately on your subject.

A Consistent Theme

You've probably asked yourself a million times what the secret is behind a well-planned gallery or Instagram Feed. The answer is consistency. Using black and white photography to build a consistently-themed feed allows you to make an instant impression - and one that lasts. This approach can be a great way to tell a beautifully consistent visual story that your audience will remember and keep coming back for.

Unique and Compelling Detail

When editing in black and white, you're able to add more depth to your images by using more contrast. Many portrait photographers choose to shoot in black and white solely for this reason. Removing color instantly brings the attention to the subject rather than the colors in the photo, allowing you to focus on the aspects of the image that matter.

A Sense of Story

When we recall our favorite moments in the past, details such as color are seldom remembered. That's because we remember the subject of the moment and not the finer details - its simply the way our brain works. Black and white photography lets us communicate visual stories in a way that we naturally recall them, invoking a strong sense of emotion and connection.

It allows us to feel the photograph rather than see it.