Black and White or Colour Photography

Should you choose black and white photographs or colour? Colour is the obvious choice for many people, but a good black and white photograph can have a very different feel. At Two Front Teeth, we photograph everything in colour and can convert images to black and white afterwards, so you do not have to make that decision before your shoot.

The feel of black and white

I particularly like black and white for natural, unposed moments. It can have a documentary or reportage feel, as though you are quietly watching a real moment unfold. It can also feel timeless. Adding a little grain can give a photograph the character of something found in an old family album, even when it was taken yesterday.

Colour and black and white offer different ways of seeing the same photograph. Sometimes the colour is an important part of the picture. Sometimes a black and white version helps you notice the expression, the light or the connection between people.

The photograph the parents nearly dismissed

I remember a newborn shoot around 12 to 15 years ago. We had taken some lovely photographs and the parents were very happy with them. There was one picture, though, that they were not too sure about. It showed the mother and father holding their baby in their arms, but the baby was crying.

They almost dismissed it at the time. When your newborn is crying, that can feel a little stressful, and it is not necessarily what you imagine choosing as a photograph for your wall.

When they came back for their viewing, I showed them that photograph in black and white. Suddenly, it looked like a wonderful moment captured. You could not hear the crying. It felt intimate, almost as though the baby had just been born and was being held for the first time.

The photograph they had been least sure about became their main feature picture: a framed 20 by 30 inch portrait for their living room wall. I have always remembered that. The same moment can feel completely different when you see it in black and white.

We photograph in colour and convert afterwards

People often ask, “Can you shoot that in black and white as well?” We always photograph in colour, then convert afterwards. That gives us the option of looking at an image both ways. The conversion is something we can consider carefully for each photograph.

Think about tones when choosing clothes

If you already know you love black and white photographs, mention it before your shoot. I often suggest thinking about contrasting tones when choosing clothes. Colours that look quite different in real life can become very similar shades of grey in black and white.

For example, pale blue and pale pink can look lovely in colour but give less contrast when converted. Dark navy alongside white gives a much clearer difference between light and dark. We can adjust tones during editing, but some contrast in the original photograph gives us a useful starting point.

Choosing the version you love

There is no single answer that suits every photograph. Look at how each version makes you feel. A colour photograph might be exactly right for one image, while black and white brings something special to another. The important thing is choosing photographs you will enjoy looking at for years.