I recently assigned myself a little project: dive deep into black and white photography. Stripping away color feels like peeling back a layer of reality, letting you see the heart of an image in a completely new way. This black and white photography project has opened up parts of my work I hadn’t explored before, turning familiar landscapes and portraits into something fresh and alive.
Finding Inspiration
My first inspirations came from the masters. Yusuf Karsh—those portraits of Hemingway and Hepburn—they stop me in my tracks every time I see them.
I used to have a recording of the documentary Karsh is History on my DVR and watched it almost weekly. Sadly, the DVR died, and I lost it. If anyone knows where I can find a copy, I would be forever grateful. The way Karsh captured essence and mood with nothing but light and shadow… it’s mesmerizing.
Seeing the Hepburn image reminded me of a photo shoot I did years ago, where I tried to capture a similar feel. One photo sparked another, and just like that, a black and white photography project was born.
From Color Junky to Monochrome Explorer
Now, I’ll admit it—I’m a color junky. Wander through any of my galleries and you’ll see it immediately. But working in black and white feels different. There’s a space for interpretation that simply doesn’t exist in color. Colors become tones you can push and pull like clay, shaping an image in ways I never thought possible. Shadows—what do they become? Actors? Subjects? I’m still searching for the word, but that’s part of the fun.
Experimentation in Lightroom
So I opened up Lightroom and started experimenting with various Lightroom black and white editing techniques. I tried everything—sliders, tutorials, presets—some worked, most didn’t. But with every attempt, I learned something new about contrast, tone, and texture. I borrowed ideas here, combined techniques there. It was messy, it was fun, it was exactly what I needed.
Turning to Landscapes and Seascapes
Eventually, I ran out of portraits, but I realized I had thousands of landscape black and white photography opportunities in my archives—images that had never been really seen. I tried to recreate the deep, rich skies of Ansel Adams style photography and the incredible clouds of Clyde Butcher inspired photography. Video after video from Lightroom pros like Matt K and Mark Denny helped me refine my monochrome photography techniques, and slowly, I started figuring out how to make landscapes sing in black and white.
Excited for Inspiration
I will be traveling down to Venice to visit family for the holidays, and that means one thing. A visit to Clyde Butchers Venice Gallery, where I get to wander the studio admiring his larger than life prints. If I’m lucky I catch a break and Clyde is around and we get to chat for a few minutes and catch a new selfie.
The Joy of Discovery
Weeks later, I have a collection of images I’m proud of—images that see the world in a new light, stripped down to its essence. I’m loving how things are going. There’s still so much to learn—there’s a reason we call Adams and Butcher Masters—but I’ve got time, and plenty of hustle left in me. There’s something magical about seeing the world this way, something quiet yet powerful, and I can’t wait to keep exploring.
