Solitude in Black and White

What are your thoughts on black-and-white photography?

Is black-and-white photography fine art? Is it artistic? I’m not sure. When I see a dominant color or silhouettes in a composition, I see an opportunity for a beautiful black-and-white photo.

Most of my photography is in color, and I only occasionally take photos with the goal of editing them into black-and-white images. I enjoy capturing color, but sometimes I find a subject that begs to be photographed in monochrome.

The photos below all have silhouettes in the background. Two of them stand out to me because they evoke a feeling of solitude, just as I felt when I took them. Both were shot at Canon Beach, Oregon, overlooking the Pacific Ocean on a cloudy day. I used a Leica Q2 with a fixed 28mm f1.4 lens and edited them lightly in Lightroom—mostly just converting them to black and white. The result is exactly what I wanted to capture in monochrome.

The third photo is one of my favorites from Seattle, taken at Gas Works Park. From where I stood, I could only capture the silhouettes of people on the hill. The fog behind the hill softened the background, while the sharpness of the tree branches near the front created a striking contrast. I used a Sony A7 III camera with a 24mm f1.4 GM Sony lens.

I’m happy with how these turned out. All of these photos were taken in 2022. While I’ve since taken more at Canon Beach, I don’t have any newer shots from Gas Works. I plan to return soon, especially with fall around the corner—an ideal time to capture new scenes.

Of the three, my favorite is “People on the Hill at Gas Works.” It perfectly reflects my preference in black-and-white photography. I look for a setting that has strong contrasts between light and shadow, like in this image. The hill was green, but by converting it to black and white, the darker shades became black, with a clear split of white sky above. The silhouettes of people and the branches add a finishing touch.

I like the photo so much, I’ve set it as my phone and iPad wallpaper. If you’d like to try it out, the links to high-resolution versions for various devices are below.

Solitude in Black-and-White is available for Mac/Windows/Linux, iPad, and iPhone/Android. Enjoy!

Download

Solitude in Black and White:

iPad | Mac/Windows/Linux | iPhone/Android

Support

I work as a programmer by day, but in my free time, I enjoy photography and writing. If you like my work (articles, wallpapers, or photography), consider leaving a tip to support the site. Your help keeps it ad-free and free of charge.