Seeing in Shades Of Gray

A personal challenge to photograph summer without color, to see what else might be there.

I often do a lot more black and white photography in the late fall after the leaves fall off the trees, and through the winter and early spring. Nature removes the color from my images for me in those seasons, and it’s easy to see what’s left. I look for the shapes in gnarled old trees, shadows, on the snow, shapes of wind-blown snow drifts, and textures of old leaves on the ground.

The Dinosaur, Syracuse NY. A place famous for its smoked southern-style food. Before the lunchtime crowd started filling the room, it was deceptively calm. Shooting this in black and white let me ignore the color and lights, and focus instead on the smoky textures, the worn surfaces, and the quiet rhythm of the space.

But summer is full of color. And most of my photos from the summer months center on color, unless something else is more obvious. So for the month of August, I am going to shoot all of my personal work in black and white, and force myself to look past colors to find shadows and textures in one of the most colorful months.

Why Ignore Color?

The whole point of photography, for me, is noticing and preserving moments that might otherwise go unseen. In summer, color dominates: lush greens, wildflowers, and deep blue skies. It’s natural to lean on color when composing. I do it all the time.

But what if there’s more to see, and I’m just not looking hard enough?

The Byrne Square Building, Syracuse NY. I love the old textures and stonework of this building. They tell you about how vibrant it used to be, while contrasting with the decay visible in places along the facade. Black and white brings out the character in both the pride and the erosion.

I tend to notice shadows and textures when they’re obvious, but I want to train myself to see them even when they’re subtle, when color isn’t doing the heavy lifting. So for the month of August, I’m shifting my focus. I’m looking for photographs that work in black and white, whether I’m shooting film or digital.

There’s a psychological effect called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, or frequency illusion. It’s what happens when you buy a certain car and suddenly start seeing that same model everywhere. It was always there; you just weren’t tuned in to it. I think black-and-white photography works the same way. If I spend a month actively looking for light, shape, tone, and texture instead of color, I hope that I will start noticing those things more often, even when I’m not shooting. And that’s the point. This isn’t just a month of monochrome. It’s a month of learning to see differently.

What I’m Hoping To Learn

I’m hoping to do more than challenge myself by setting a constraint.

I want to better understand composition without depending on color to anchor an image. When color is gone, what’s left? Shape. Light. Texture. The spaces between things. The way a shadow stretches across a wall. The rough grain of weathered wood. The tonal contrast between a white cloud and a deep gray sky. These are the elements I want to get better at noticing.

By removing color, I’m hoping to train my eye to look for:

• Composition through shape and structure: framing based on form, not hue.

• Light and tone: learning how luminosity defines mood, even in a flat gray sky.

• Texture and surface: how something feels, visually, without needing color to hint at it.

• Intentional contrast: using black and white’s natural strength to shape emotion, whether subtle or bold.

Al’s Automotive, somewhere in Central NY. Everything here looks like it’s been sitting still for years, but maybe not. In color, this scene might have felt nostalgic. In black and white, it feels more like time has paused for a moment, letting the textures tell the story.

Tools

I’m going to utilize both film and digital imaging this month, and I hope to learn from them both.

Shooting digital will let me experiment, adjusting grain, contrast, and processing style to test how those choices shape the final image. Film, on the other hand, makes me commit to a look before I press the shutter. HP5 if I want range and softness. Tri-X for grit and bite. There’s no one “correct” version of a black-and-white photo. I want to become more intentional about what I’m trying to say with each one.

If nothing else, I hope to walk away from this month with a clearer understanding of what draws me to a scene, including and BEYOND color.

Color vs Black and White

I hope that what I take away from doing this will be stronger compositions, in both color and black and white. Reply or comment: What is your feeling about black and white photography? Do you think about composition when you are shooting black and white?

✅ Where to Find Me

You can find more of my work on the web at: Simmons Photography

If you want to work with me, or inquire about licensing images: Contact Page

More of my work can be seen on Vero and Flickr.

🎒 The Gear Bag - Gear and Inspiration

Some links in this section are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share gear and resources I personally use or believe in.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• Vanguard VEO 3T Travel Tripod

• What I’m currently reading… David duChemin’s The Heart of the Photograph. David is always a great source of inspiration, and this book is an excellent read.