Black-and-white photography lends your photos a timeless look.
Think of Ansel Adams' majestic black-and-white landscapes, and you can appreciate the power that's possible
when you leave color behind. Use black-and-white (or monochrome, as it's also called) techniques to heighten
drama and emotion in your photos, and for giving pictures a timeless quality.
With digital cameras, you have three choices for getting black-and-white shots:
Shoot in black-and-white: Check your camera's manual to see if you can
shoot directly in monochrome. This lets you view the photo on your camera's LCD screen in black
and white, so you can see exactly what you're shooting.
Convert color photos into black and white in your camera: For many HP
cameras, you can do this in the Design Gallery menu. Select "Modify Color," then "black and white."
This creates a copy of an existing photo, so you'll have both versions.
Print in black and white: You can print black and white photos from those
taken in color by using the Grayscale setting, available in your printer preferences menu.
All of these methods work well. However, if your goal is to create larger black-and-white prints, shooting in
black and white will yield the best results.
This photo uses high contrast to create interesting tension.
Contrast—the difference between the light and dark areas in a photo—is an essential part of
black-and-white photography. There are three levels of contrast that you can experiment with when you shoot:
High contrast means striking white and black tones, with minimal gray. It can
heighten tension or add drama to photos.
Look for bright light and shadows (as in the image above) to shoot in high contrast.
Normal contrast provides the most "realistic" presentation of an image, where
some things in the photo are light or white, some are dark or black, and some are in-between, or gray.
Contrasts that are strong in color, such as red against green, look about equal in black and white, making for normal contrast.
Low contrast keeps tones mostly in the mid-range, so there are lots of grays.
Atmospheric weather, such as fog, is perfect for shooting low contrast black-and-white photos.
Removing color from this picture lets you focus on the emotion-not the red on her shoulder.
Emotional occasions, such as weddings, are ideal opportunities to shoot black and white. And don't forget
group shots—black and white shots mean that clashing clothing isn't a problem.
Black-and-white lets you focus on other elements of a photo, such as texture.
Black and white lends itself to a variety of subjects:
Texture and patterns: Try shooting interesting textures and lines, or patterns
in nature. Details that are barely noticeable in color become more prominent and poetic.
Portraits: Baby pictures, wedding photos, family portraits—candid or
posed—gain a classic quality when shot in black and white.
Landscapes: From the mountains to your backyard, outdoor shots look magnificent
in black and white.
Get stunning black-and-white prints with excellent contrast using specialized, proprietary black and gray inks.
Find out more
and see all HP compatible printers
Creative uses for your black-and-white prints
Black-and-white pictures are ideal for sharing and displaying, especially with a few creative embellishments.
Take a free online class
in digital photography! Explore the many features of your digital camera, find tips for cropping and editing your
images, and discover new ideas for sharing your photos in creative ways.
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