Weekly Black and White Photography Thread Year 2, N0. 1 (8 Feb 2026)

Welcome to the Weekly Black and White Photography Thread

Kicking Off Year Two - Roll Out Your Best

We’re dedicated to fostering discussions about Black and White photography. This open peer-to-peer forum allows critical feedback on images, leading to discussions on techniques, styles, interpretation, and storytelling. The first few weeks response has been outstanding - keep them coming.

It’s easy - To participate: post an image or essay with a title, short description, and explanation. All comments must include the image or essay as a quote. Replies may or may not include quotes.

THREAD GUIDELINES:
1. This thread is for learning about Black and White photography.
2. Post one image or photo essay for comments.
3. Entries can be single images or short photo essays (3 to 10 connected images that tell a story).
4. Give your entry a clear title and explain the Story it tells.
5. Provide constructive feedback to others..
6. Go beyond simple praise or dismissal.
7. Explain why you like an image or essay.
8. Negative feedback is welcome (be polite, honest, and constructive).

We refine our skill-craft through feedback - Analyzing prints pinned on the virtual wall is our approach, but discussions of styles and techniques are also encouraged. While most images are captured digitally, Black and White film can also discussed. The focus is on image.

Post a photo or photo essay and get comments and feedback. In return, give honest but constructive opinions of others’ images. There are multiple levels of feedback: composition, technique, emotion and storytelling, etc. Explore the image in your head, considering composition, perspective, toning, balance, exposure, and tonality. Consider the story, emotion or opinion the artist is trying to communicate.

Downloading and reposting - It’s often challenging to verbalize useful comments about images. Instead, it’s often easier to “show.” Unless the original poster specifically states otherwise, participants are free to download, alter, and repost images in replies to express their analysis and critique. The reposted image may remain permanently or be removed after a short period. Downloaded and altered images shall not be used for other purposes or uploaded elsewhere.

Encouragement - When I first pinned a print on the cork-board for the professor and class to analyze, I was apprehensive. However, it proved to be an effective way to learn and develop my skills and vision. Well reasoned analysis and comments aid the artist in improving their vision, skill, and style. The goal is to promote and encourage people to enhance their artistic vision and skill in Black and White Photography by providing constructive feedback. General feedback is also welcome. Sharing techniques for capturing or processing images that aid in creating good Black and White images or photo essays is appreciated in replies.

Why focus on Black and White - As Elliott Erwitt said, “Color is descriptive. Black and White is interpretive.” Or as Clyde Butcher often said, "Only in black and white can I see the design and textures. I don't consider color photography art. Black and is interpretation. Color is duplication." It’s an abstraction that simplifies photography by focusing on composition, forms, shapes, tonality, textures, and emotions.

Clyde Butcher talks about the hundreds of photographers who flock to Inspiration Point in Yosemite National Park for the “golden hour.” However, the composition at sunrise is poor. For Black and White, it’s not about the color of the light, but the quality of the light. Ansel Adams arrived midmorning when the light was “right” to produce his iconic images. His iconic book, “Yosemite and the Range of Light,” had a significant impact on conservation and environmental movements in the West. It also attracts thousands of photographers each year to capture the “Range of Light.”

clydebutcher.com

Nick Ut’s “Napalm Girl” captured the horrors of the Vietnam War and profoundly impacted the United States. Stripped of distractions, the image exposed the terror in the children’s faces, prompting critical questioning of government actions. W. Eugene Smith’s “Minamata” warned the world. It exposed a corporation poisoning water and killing residents, highlighting the suffering of the Minamata community for profit. William Henry Jackson’s photographs convinced Congress to preserve Yellowstone as the first national park, leading to the creation of the National Park Service and commitment to wild land preservation.

Black and White strips away distractions to expose the story. It tells unique stories in various photographic genres, from landscapes to social documentaries to portraiture.

Additional Resources - It is encouraged to discuss additional resources on Black and White photography in posts, whether in your images or commenting on others’ when those resources aid in the goals of the thread.

Growing Together - The Black and White thread focuses on growth and learning together. Be active, honest, and respectful.

Up the Draw

Local creek. Flowing well with rains in December (although January has been bone dry). Wading boots came in handy here. 🙂

That was a bit of a challenge with the composition. A considerable more bright/open sky shining through higher up. It's a spot I want to return to and spend more time at.

Nicely done, Great exposure and smooth tonality. Moving water can be tough, but you hit the sweet spot on long enough exposure to smooth out the water but not too long so it turns into a creamy mush. The translucence of the water over the rocks is quite nice. The only thing might be a little wider maybe 28 vs. 31 to show a bigger expanse of the water in the foreground. But that's a nit, nice capture.

Tough exposure with the sun but you pulled it off. A nice minimalist shot with a road leading to who knows where. The road pulls you in as it takes up the bottom of the image and leads you off. The trees and their shadows had depth and interest to the shot. Nicely done.

I'll never tell! 😂 This is from the Dakota badlands (North Dakota in this case). It actually looks like that. This was early morning when the sun at a low angle so the light cast a lot of "micro-shadows." There are also subtle bands of differing colors in the formations. The second thing about early morning in the badlands, is the low humidity that gives a unique clarity in the light.

I spent the last year revising my workflow and now get the basic exposure and color balance right and do all the basic editing, healing, cropping, etc. The I use Topaz Studio for the final sharpening. I find the sharpening in the new Topaz to be subtile and doesn't produce the artifacts that Adobe or Capture One can. But a little goes a long way. Then after B&W conversion (Silver Efex), it's back to Capture One where some amount of clarity is added.

BTW I wouldn't walk up the draw. Not only is the footing a bit unstable, this is prime rattle snake country and they really blend in well. The only good news is they don't want to be around you any more than you want to be around them and know you are coming a long way off and get out of the way and if you get too close, announce themselves.

Thank you. It's definitely a scene to be worked again.

Looking at these B&W threads...my interest has been stimulated. Going forward, I will try to visualize the B&W possibilities when I am out with the camera. My experience with the conversion process is very limited. I will learn as I go! For the time being, and for fun, I went back to a random file folder from 2021 and saw something that seemed to have potential.... so I used the "newspaper" style in Photoshop Elements... and I like this better than the color version!

Interesting composition and the conversion is nicely done. B&W is interpretation, color is duplication. When you approach a scene for B&W think about abstraction. Keep pitching - were here to comment.