Black and white landscape photography | the ultimate guide
In a world where color photography is king, black and white landscape photography might seem like an outdated art.
However, there are still many reasons to take black and white landscape photos. The monochrome tones of black and white photography can still produce stunning images in this modern world.
Black & white landscape photography can often have an artistic look that helps photos stand out from the crowd. In this post we will explore why you should still be taking black and white landscape photos in 2021.
We will also give tips on how to take the best black and white images. Let’s dive in!
What is Black and White Landscape Photography?
When you hear black and white photography, you often think of old historical pictures. That’s because long before digital cameras, black and white was the only option in photography.
When i started on my photography journey, I was surprised to learn that black and white photography is still popular today. This is especially true with both landscape and portrait photography.
So why is this style still so popular after nearly 200 years?
Also, why would I even speak of black and white photography today? After all, this is and outdated style in a day and age where high quality color images are available, right?
It’s the equivalent of me recommending a typewriter when word processing is done almost completely on computers.
Not so fast. Let’s take a closer look and explore why black and white is still as relevant as ever in 2021.
Why Do Photographers Use Black and White?
You may think black and white may seem like an outdated style, but there are many reasons to keep it in your arsenal. The style has a timeless look that can evoke nostalgia, or intrigue the viewer with mystery.
Photographers still use black and white for a number of reasons. The most popular reason is because black and white can be more expressive than color photos by showing the contrast in light. Photography is the art of capturing light after all!
The contrast in between the black and white tones can help to guide the viewers eyes into the subject. It is also an excellent way to convey an emotion to the viewer, and is a good tool to stop the distraction some colors cause.
Black and white is also a good option during the daytime when light conditions are less than ideal. This is because you can use the lighting creatively to create high contrast, moody images by using the shadows and highlights in an image.
Let me show you…
Add Drama To Your Black and White Landscape Photography
Behold the beautiful Park Avenue, at Arches National Park. Side note – add this place to the bucket list. You simply have to check it out!
Looking at the photo on the left, the clouds in the sky are grey and boring. The color of the rocks is beautiful, but it does nothing to guide the eyes of the viewer or evoke emotion. It is bland in my opinion and certainly not social media worthy, or worth printing.
Contrast this with the right hand image. No pun intended 😉. Switching to black and white has given the image a new lease of life. All of a sudden that grey bland sky has changed in to a tale of drama and interest. The use of contrast gives a depth to the shot too.
Changing from color to black and white brings the image alive. When I discovered this, I went back through my Lightroom library and managed to ‘save’ quite a few images. I had discarded these due to sub optimal lighting. Looking at the same images through a black and white perspective brought a new life to the photos.
I recommend doing the same! You might be surprised with that you find!
That being said, ideally black and white should be a technical choice when shooting. Picturing the world in black and white will help you improve your black and white photography. You’ll end up with shots you didn’t even think possible before considering black and white.
Black and White Landscape Photography Gear
Before you start, you’ll need the basics – photography gear.
We all know how expensive photography can be. Especially when starting out – getting even just the basic gear can be costly.
If you want to try new styles it often involves buying new gear. I found that when I wanted to give astrophotography a go – the lens I had just didn’t cut it.
Another example would be if you want to get serious about portrait photography. The cost of getting a good flash and lighting set up soon adds up!
Well, let me be the bearer of good news…
You’ll be pleased to know, that there isn’t a big cost associated with trying out black and white landscape photography. Most of the gear you’ll need you likely already have in your camera bag, even as a newbie.
In most cases, it just involves changing a few settings on your camera and changing the way you think about a shot. I’ll give my top tips for getting great black and white landscape shots later.
That being said, there are a few items which will take your black and white photography to the next level.
Let’s look at a few.
Best Camera For Black and White Landscape Photography
If you’re already an photography amateur, you’ll be pleased to know the camera you have is probably good enough to shoot black and white. Most modern cameras have a black and white setting, or shoot in RAW. Shooting in RAW allows you to convert to black and white later. It also offers more control when processing the shot – but more on this later.
If you’ve got a camera which shoots in RAW I would practice getting epic black and white photos with the gear you have. I explain how to do this later in this article, so stick around.
If you’re new to photography or in the market for a new camera, allow me to give you my recommendations for the best camera for a beginner starting black and white landscape photography in 2021.
Apple iPhone proRAW
I know – recommending a phone to shoot black and white photography may come as a surprise to some of you. I chose to put this first as it may be a quick win for some apple users, or those due an upgrade…
Many of you avid iPhone users may be able to shoot in RAW and not even know. If you have the iPhone 12 Pro or Pro 12 Max models with IOS 14.3 or later, you have this feature.
It isn’t the same RAW file as on digital cameras, but proRAW still enables users to edit their iPhone shots in software in the same way as you can a RAW file. It gives much more flexibility when editing photos.
If you have one of these phones, I would turn on the ProRAW feature and get out and shoot! It’s a great feature and produces great results. The cameras on the iPhone 12 models are insanely good too, especially considering its a mobile phone!
You can easily get great results and improve your photography using your phone alone. It’s the way I improved. Use your iPhone to get great shots and fall in love with photography before moving on to your first camera.
The camera technology in phones has come on leaps and bounds in the last few years. To the everyday person, it’s even hard to tell the difference between a social media upload shot on an iPhone vs a more premium digital camera. I still use my phone today – it’s always with me and available in seconds.
If you’re due an upgrade soon, the iPhone 12 series has to be a serious contender for photography lovers.
Great For Beginners - Fujifilm XT-200
If you’re in the market for your first camera I would recommend the Fuji XT-200.
Many of you will have heard of Fujifilm as they have been a dominant name in the business of photography for over 85 years. More recently, however, I feel that Fuji is often mistakingly overlooked in favour of Canon and Sony models. Fuji has some great models available, and the one I recommend to those starting out in landscape photography is the XT-200.
One of the main reasons I love the XT-200 is the ease of use. This model has a fully rotating large touchscreen which is easier than dealing with a gazillion complex dials. It has clearly been designed as an upgrade for smartphone users, which many beginners will love.
When it comes to black and white photography you have a few options with Fuji that I love. You can shoot in RAW, as recommended before. But…there’s another option that produces great results too.
Film simulation mode is a feature Fuji shooters swear by. Having created many iconic styles of analogue film over the years, film simulation mode mimics these classic styles. The only downside is the file format is in JPEG so there’s less image data to manipulate. That being said the output straight from the camera is often so good it needs little post processing.
My favourite black and white film simulation is ‘Acros’. Check the styles out for yourself on the Fujifilm website.
If the Fuji is too pricy, I would check out the Sony A6000 – this is still a top pick for beginners even though the camera was released 7 years ago!
More Advanced - Sony a7iii
My next pick for those who are more serious about their photography is the Sony A7iii. I say more advanced as this camera has more complex features than the XT-200. I would urge a beginner to start off with the XT-200, or one of the Sony A6000 models before upgrading.
So why do I recommend the Sony A7 III?
One of the main reasons for upgrading is the size of the image sensor. If you have ambitions of becoming a pro or taking your photography to the next level, then a full frame sensor is a must.
You get a lot more image data with full frame meaning you won’t get as much distortion when making large prints. Full frame sensors also allow for better photos in low light situations.
You will certainly get better results in your black and white photography using a full frame-camera. They can however be more expensive than the APS-C equivalent.
The simplicity of menu use along with the epic color science made Sony my obvious choice when upgrading. There are also similar models available from Canon and Nikon.
Which Camera?
These are the two cameras I would recommend, but the all important thing is that the camera shoots in RAW file format which most do in this modern age.
This is particularly true as a beginner. If you are more serious about photography as a profession, then the more expensive full-frame cameras will be a great investment.
It’s all about you, where you are in your photography journey, and your price range.
What About Film?
I hear you. A lot of you more experienced folk are probably yelling at the screen “where are the film camera recommendations?
Full disclosure – I haven’t shot with black and white film so haven’t included it. Having studied some of the work of Michael Kenna and Ansel Adams, their work has inspired me to give it a go at some point. You’ll see updated content here once I have.
In the meantime…
Are you an expert in black and white film photography?
If you are and want to contribute to finershots, please don’t hesitate to get in contact.
Filters For Black and White Photography
Filters are a great way to take your black and white landscape photos to the next level and a lot less expensive than a new lens! Here we’ll look at the must have filters which every black and white photographer needs in their camera bag.
Neutral Density (ND) Filters
Neutral density filters are a must have for any black and white photographer. They can be used to slow down the exposure of your scene so that you get a motion-blur effect. This effect is very popular with landscape photographers.
Motion blur can add a soft yet dramatic effect to your work, and particularly in black and white. The blur is seen in clouds or water, which helps add contrast against the darker sky or sea.
The downside to the neutral density filter means you will need to carry a tripod or some form of stabilization, due to the slow shutter speed needed to get the blur effect.
Graduated Neutral Density (GND) Filters
Another must have for black and white photography is GND filters. A GND filter will help to control the exposure of certain areas of the image.
Have you ever shot in to the sunlight? If not give it a go now.
You’ll probably find the detail of the foreground may be lost, or dark compared to the brighter sky and sun. Unless you shoot in manual to control the exposure, most cameras will expose for the brightness of the sky. This leads to the bottom of the photo being underexposed.
The cameras of today are good, but not as good as our eyes which have a higher dynamic range.
If only we could darken the bright parts of the sky, but keep the foreground lighter…
That’s where the GND filter comes in. This is a must for every landscape photographer, especially when shooting directly in to the sun. If you haven’t got one, I would highly recommend adding one to your wish list.
Colour Filters
You may be thinking a color filter is a stupid suggestion. We are talking about black and white here – so why would a color filter be used?
Won’t that leave a tint to my picture? Not quite… let me explain.
Whilst we may be composing for a black and white photograph, the scene in real life is still made of colours. Using a colour filter helps to emphasise certain colours by lightening some and darkening others.
For this we’ll need to look at the Adobe Colour Wheel.
The filter you apply brightens the colour of the filter you are using. It also darkens the colour opposite it on the colour wheel.
Let’s take red for example. If we apply a red filter, it will enhance the reds in the picture and darken the greens.
How will this show up in black and white? The reds from the scene will be a lighter shade of grey compared to the darker shade of grey for the greens.
A practical example – you may use a yellow filter to bring out the highlights of the clouds. This is because the filter darkens the blues – the opposite of yellow on the colour chart. This makes the clouds pop.
Why Not Just Do This in Post-Production?
Good question. For those shooting using film this will be harder than just adjusting sliders in Adobe Lightroom. Color filters are an easy way to ensure your shots are captured the way you want in camera therefore an essential bit of kit.
You may be shooting a scenic landscape with rolling green hills. Maybe you want to darken the greens to draw the views eyes up into the picture, or even to add to the contrast between the land and sky. Using a color filter will achieve this.
It is true that for those of you who shoot using digital cameras will be able to achieve this in post-production. But where possible, the best results are always achieved when you get the photo as close as possible to the end result, straight out the camera.
We’ve seen some of the gear that will take your black and white shots to the next level. Now let me show you my top tips on how to shoot black and white landscapes.
Black and White Landscape Photography Tips
So here we are. Theory complete. Now let’s get our cameras in to action and capture some epic black and white landscapes which are sure to cause jaws to drop.
Which File Format Should I Shoot In When Doing Black and White Photography?
This one is a simple tip.
Shoot RAW wherever possible.
The file sizes are a lot larger, but much more data is captured in the image. More data means that you have a lot more control over the colors in the post-processing of the image.
Remember the color filters mentioned in the gear section? Shooting in RAW allows us to control how certain colors are shown in greyscale just like using a color filter. As we’re shooting RAW, we can do this digitally when using your favourite software.
The benefit is, the opposite color on the color wheel is unaffected. When changing blues for example, yellows aren’t affected like they would be with a color filter.
Neat huh!
More importantly, by shooting RAW you’ll have the color version available if you need it in the future. If you shoot in monochrome format, you won’t have this option.
When To Choose Black and White Over Colour
When to use black and white is ultimately up to you as a creator and photographer. Maybe there is a particular subject that you think will look great in black and white.
As my photography has improved, I found that there are certain situations black and white works really well.
Let me share them with you.
When Shooting in Harsh Light
When shooting landscapes, I follow the rule of mainly shooting during golden hour or blue hour. Why?
The lighting conditions are perfect for the style of photography I love. You get the soft warming glow of the natural light when shooting during golden hour. It gives the image that special touch.
Light during the day can be harsh and intense. This leads to challenges with exposure. If a subject is in a shadow for example, it may be hard to bring out the detail without overexposing the rest of the photo.
Shooting during the golden hour is great, but not always practical. When you’re on vacation for example many people don’t want to organise their day around sunrise and sunset. So you have to compromise by shooting during the day.
One top tip when working in harsh light is to consider black and white. The light gives a large contrast to the scene, sometimes to dramatic effect.
This was a ground-breaking moment when I discovered this. Suddenly a lot of the pictures in my lightroom library I thought were doomed had new potential!
Have a look through your own library. You might be surprised what you see when you hit that B&W button.
Minimalist Photography
Black and white can be put to good use in a powerful way when used in minimalist photography.
Just look at some of Michael Kennas’ work.
Minimalism in photography is all about stripping a photo to the basic elements required to portray the message. ‘Less is more’ is the best way to think of minimalist photography.
In this case it makes perfect sense to strip down the color to just leave black and white. Colors often can cause distraction.
With simple use of black and white, contrast can be used to emphasise the subject matter without distraction.
Take a look for yourself in the photo to the right. The contrast of the tree against the white background and foreground help the subject stand out.
There’s no ambiguity. It is simple yet elegant, and the viewer is not left confused over what the message is that the photographer is trying to convey.
To Create A Timeless Sense of Nostalgia
Black and white can be used to add a timeless feel to your work. Some photographers want their work to be taken out of the context of time. This is something Michael Kenna speaks about and practices. There is a mystery behind a lot of his work as there is no sense of time – the viewer doesn’t know if the shot was taken in 1980 or 2010.
When Shooting On A Cloudy Day
We’ve all been there. You have that location that you have been waiting to shoot for a while, and you’ve finally booked to go!
Everything is set up. You’re finally going to get that bucket shot you’ve always dreamed of.
The alarm sounds at 4am. You rise early to get the perfect sunrise shot…and fail! Cloud!
Sometimes cloud can make or break a photo. In some of Ansel Adams work for example, the low level cloud in Yosemite added great drama and atmosphere.
Other clouds can just ruin the shot. For example, blankets of layered cloud. There’s nothing duller than a grey sky but sometimes there’s just no getting around it.
I’ve found that switching it up with black and white can often give you a new perspective. Often when shooting in color the grey sky looks dull and boring.
Take that same picture, switch it to black and white and you have a different view of things. Bringing down the highlights during post-processing often reveals the detail of the clouds to great effect. I found this brings back the intense atmosphere that was present – thunderstorms are a good example of this.
I also love to use the gaps in the cloud to good effect. You can often get rays of light shine through on to your subject which make for a great shot.
Sometimes you have to work with what nature provides you. Black and white can be a great way to display that beauty in the best way. For more Information, check out our article on Cloudy Day Photography.
What Makes Good Black and White Photography?
So what makes a black and white stand out? We can take any picture and convert it to black and white. But what separates the good from the great? What separates the amateurs work from the pro’s?
This is subjective. Photography can be seen like an art. Each photographer has their own style, but there are a few common traits which make the work of the pro’s rise to the top. First of all is understanding light.
Contrast - The Key To Guiding The Eyes Of The Viewer
Contrast is key in black and white photography. And in my opinion how contrast is used is what sets the pro’s apart from the ametures.
So what is contrast? Put simply, it is the difference between darks and light areas of the photo. Photos that have areas of intense black, next to areas of bright white are examples of high contrast.
Other photos have mainly grey tones with less distinct areas or black and white. These photos are low contrast.
How the photographer uses this contrast to guide the viewers eyes is key. The best way to describe this is to look at an example.
I think the above example shows well how contrast can be used to guide the eyes of the viewer. The left image is an example of low contrast. There are darker grey shades, but it just adds to the noise. There’s no natural resting place for the eyes. It creates a confusing image.
Contrast that with the image on the right. The extremes in contrast guide the eyes in to the image from the top and bottom. The lighter Hollywood sign is a natural resting place. It also adds a greater sense of depth.
So there we go…contrast can be a powerful tool in your black and white toolkit.
Composition
An obvious choice, right? Composition is important in every photo…
But this is extra important when shooting black and white. This is because there are factors which completely change the scene you’re probably used to seeing with color.
Shadows can lead to intense areas of black which can detract from the subject. Certain textures can have a similar effect.
These are just some examples.
Luckily for you I have a top tip to combat this…
When shooting in black and white, make sure you’re viewing the scene in black and white. A lot of people just shoot in RAW color, and can edit in post processing. We discussed this above. But make sure you view the scene in black and white. A lot of camera’s allow you to set the viewfinder to black and white. If not, just get out your iPhone.
Texture
I’m not usually a fan of texture when it comes to landscape photography. I find high frequency textures can be distracting and detract from the story you’re trying to tell.
But when shooting in black and white, textures can add interest. I think the range of tones can be used to dramatic effect, and this is particularly true when shooting macro landscape photography. You’ll notice that the areas of contrast and different tones can be used to draw out the minute detail of a subject.
Check out this shot of Mesa Arch. You can see how using monochrome makes each contour of rock pop with the different shades. You can almost feel the texture!
Famous Black and White Landscape Photographers
There’s no better way to get inspired than to look at the work of the pro’s. If I find myself needing inspiration, this always inspires creativity and makes me pick up my camera and shoot!
As we’ve seen, black and white photography has been around for a long time – almost 200 years! During this time there are a number of inspiration photographers renowned for their use of black and white.
Let’s take a look at a few of the pro’s who will undoubtedly inspire you with their work!
I couldn’t write the ultimate guide to black and white photography with no mention of Ansel Adams. If you haven’t heard of Ansel, he is seriously someone you need to look up.
Ansel Adams is a true master of black and white landscape photography. Growing up in the Bay Area in the early 20th century, Adams spent much of his early life photographing Yosemite National Park. He is most famous for his photos of the American South West.
He preferred black and white to color as he could manipulate the image to produce bold expressive tones. Early color films were not as sensitive or durable and the colors were quite saturated. Developing color film was also much more complex and had to be sent to a lab.
For these reasons, black and white film remained widely popular with many photgraphers.
Adams created a special technique called ‘The Zone System’ to control how light is recorded in images. He pioneered this technique which helped ensure a good exposure in high and low contrast situations. This gives his photographs an iconic look that’s very recognizable.
Ansel Adams’ work in the field of black and white photography still inspires many to this day.
An easy way to check out his work is by visiting the National Archives website.
Michael Kenna
My second pick is Micheal Kenna.
For those who don’t know, Michael Kenna he’s one of the most famous landscape photographers in the world. You only need to see his work to understand why. His black and white minimalist style is iconic, and inspires many budding photographers all over the world!
One of the things I love about Michael Kenna is his classic approach to photography. We live in a world where everyone has a camera available, and instant gratification is rife.
In just a few seconds you can take a picture, upload it for the world to see. It is then often forgot about for years…
So, what makes Michael Kenna’s work different?
Well, he mainly shoots using a Hasselblad medium format camera to capture landscapes around the world. He much prefers film photography to the modern digital equivalents.
There is also no instant gratification with his work…
Michael Kenna slows down the photography process and takes hours over his shots. Much of his work involves exposures of 10 hours or more. A lot of his work has involved revisiting the same locations time after to time to get the perfect shot. He likens it to visiting an old friend and building on a relationship, rather than meeting lots of new people.
Visiting Michaels Instagram, and website will be sure to give you a boost of creative inspiration!
Serge Ramelli
My last pick is someone many of you may not have heard of.
I picked Serge as he’s been an inspiration in my photography since I first started out. So who is he, and why should you take notice?
Serge Ramelli is a French photographer who has experienced a lot of success with his work, both online and offline. I first came across him when I was looking for YouTube tutorials for photography, and his channel stood out above the rest.
Offline he has experienced great success too – his work is displayed in YellowKorner galleries around the world. He has also produced coffee table books of New York, Paris, Los Angeles and Venice, which are stunning.
It is his black and white landscape photography tutorials which opened my eyes to the world of black and white. Serge’s New York and Paris coffee table books are also in black and white, which provide great inspiration.
The best way to check his work out is by visiting his website, or Instagram. Also, his YouTube videos are of great value to all starting out on their photography journey.
Wrapping It Up - Conclusion
Phew! We’ve covered a lot of ground there. Enough to take you from zero to hero on your adventures in to the world of black and white landscape photography.
We’ve covered what black and white landscape photography is, and why it’s used in 2021. Hopefully you can now see the benefits. I found that when I started and fell in love with black and white, I got a lot more engagement on social media than normal. People are so used to seeing colors, that black and white causes them to stop scrolling and explore.
I then gave you my recommendations for the essential gear that will help you get those killer shots. For many of you that will just mean adjusting a few settings on your camera. You may also have a lot of the gear required to get great black and white landscape shots.
We then wrapped it all up with some top tips, and some inspirational picks. Those pro’s that are at the top of the black and white photography ladder. Be sure to check out their work. You can learn a lot from it!
Final Thoughts
Black and white is a great way to mix up your photography. It can also change the way you look at a subject. Maybe the way the subject is lit and contrasts against the shadows makes for a better shot than the color equivalent.
It can also be a good option when the colors in the shot are either distracting or boring. Switch to black and white and add a touch of drama and emotion.
One final thought before I send you into the realm of photographic bliss with your new found knowledge…
Many see black and white as an afterthought, or a way of saving a imperfect image. This can work, as we have discussed. But the best results come when shooting in black and white as a conscious choice. Ansel Adams put it best:
“I can get—for me—a far greater sense of ‘color’ through a well-planned and executed black-and-white image than I have ever achieved with color photography” – Ansel Adams 1967.
Black and white is not only still relevant in 2021. It is a key staple that should be part of every landscape photographers creative diet.
