I’m often asked why I shoot exclusively in black and white. I’m going to try to explain. My choice doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy color photography. There is exquisite work being made in color, and I love seeing it. But when I convert a photograph I truly respond to into black and white, I see more. I feel a greater sense of control over my creative work.
Color can sometimes get in the way of what lies beneath it. When it’s removed, the contrast between black, white, and the full range of grays begins to speak. Light becomes more deliberate. Shape and drama become clearer. In black and white photography, the structure of an image—its bones—comes forward.
I was reminded of this recently at a seminar where the presenter showed paintings by several of the masters with the color removed. It was astonishing to see how much light and tonality existed inside those color works. Some painters begin in black and white for exactly this reason. Without color, accented lines emerge, gray shadows reveal themselves, and surfaces like cloth, glass, and metal show a depth of detail that feels almost luminous.
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Black and white also allows mood, lines, and curves to come forward with greater clarity—elements that can sometimes be softened or distracted from in color. In the examples below, the black and white image reveals detail more clearly. The light, especially as it strikes the center of the plant, feels more intentional. There’s a stronger sense of quiet presence. The color photograph contains the same curves and lines, but black and white allows me to emphasize what I want you to see. No matter how I lit the color version, I wouldn’t achieve the same elegance or grace.
What began as an experiment—converting color images into black and white—became a way of seeing. Working within this monochrome space helped me understand tone, contrast, and light more deeply. The wide tonal range available in black and white made it easier for me to shape what I wanted to say and to develop my own creative voice.
Now, I know this is how my work wants to exist. Black and white is no longer a choice I make after the fact—it’s the language through which I see, and the way my photographs become complete.
I recently went to a seminar where the presenter showed a group of paintings by several of the Painting Masters that had the color removed. It was truly amazing the level of light and tonality that was represented inside these color paintings. Some painters work in black and white before they start to paint. The black and white shows more of the accented lines and gray shadows in the white cloth, the glass and metal show more detail and the light is wonderful.
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Black and White also allows me to show mood, lines, and curves to their full advantage which can sometimes be lost or not as strongly expressed as it could be when in color. In the examples below, for me with the black and white image, you can see detail. With the black and white you get much more of a feeling of the light, especially hitting the center of the plant. The sense of quiet presence is stronger in the black and white. Black and white helps move my creative process. The color shot has the same curves and lines but with the magic of black and white, I can accentuate the things I want you to see. No matter how I lit the color photo I would not get that same elegance and grace from this shot.
What started as an experiment in converting color to black and white has become a way of seeing for me. I continued working in this monotone space to help me get better at this new concept. I found using the wide tonality available made it easier for me to flesh out what I wanted to say and express my own creativity and style. Now I know that this is the best way for me to express my art.
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