Of course, I’d always advise new photographers to try different things but, when you find the photographs that make your heart sing to look at, photographs you’d be happy to work at day in and day out, for the whole of a career, concentrate on that style and make it your own. Then, test the boundaries of your chosen style, explore its corners and quirks, so that it becomes truly yours and you can take it to new places. That’s the joy of photography: there’s a style and a market for everyone.
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# Why I choose to shoot in black and white

Helen Bartlett

boys running on beach with birds picture by Helen Bartlett

It began with my Dad.

He was an enthusiastic amateur photographer, and when my brothers and I were children, he set about documenting our growing up together. He built a darkroom in the basement of our house and the photographs that came out of it still cover the walls. Invariably, they are black and white.

I fell in love with those pictures.

There was something magical about them, not least that they afforded relief to a child of the eighties with a passion for neon green: all crimes against fashion were forgiven – the lurid Dr Martens boots quietly toned down to a neutral grey.

People never look at monochrome portraits and cry “what was I wearing?” Perhaps that sounds trivial, but it’s quite the opposite. Part of the magic of black and white images is their timelessness, their ability to see beyond the whims of fashion and surface detail to the essence of people. They capture their interactions and emotions.

When I left university to strike out as a professional photographer, I wanted to do for other families what my Dad had done for ours, and I knew instinctively that my images would be black and white. The aim was to produce images that families would be proud to hang on their walls not just for a couple of years after they’d been taken, but as the children became teenagers and the teenagers became adults with children of their own. I wanted to create something that would last.

black and white photo of child playing with bubbles by Helen Bartlett

## Finding a style

Photographers starting up are often like butterflies: they flit all over the place, emulating the styles they see at the latest workshop or in the magazines.  This isn’t a bad thing; it’s only by trying different styles and techniques that we find the ones we love. Back when I shot weddings, I took my fair share of “Ascough black and whites” or “Ghionis styled shots”. It’s how we learn. I’ve been lucky though: whatever experiments I may have tried and mistakes I may have made elsewhere, with my children’s portraiture I always stuck to the same way of working. It’s never been anything but black and white.

Of course, I’d always advise new photographers to try different things but, when you find the photographs that make your heart sing to look at, photographs you’d be happy to work at day in and day out, for the whole of a career, concentrate on that style and make it your own. Then, test the boundaries of your chosen style, explore its corners and quirks, so that it becomes truly yours and you can take it to new places. That’s the joy of photography: there’s a style and a market for everyone.

For me, one fascinating aspect of working in black and white is being able to make images that fit so easily and comfortably with pictures from other generations. The sparks of personality shine strongly through, and by cutting out the distractions it’s possible to show things that might normally be missed. These two pictures are a case in point: one of me taken by my dad, one of my nephew taken by me. Different compositions but then, when you look closely, you see the similarity and when I crop… well I believe that it’s not just how we look that’s in the genes: I work in my father’s style.

black and white portrait of boy by Helen Bartlett

## Creating consistency

After twelve years working as a photographer, I’m lucky to have a number of clients who have been with me since those faltering first days. So it’s important that my style and way of working does not date. Many of my clients buy albums year on year, and it’s important that, across shoots and across the years, I’m working with a consistent processing palate. It makes the work hang together as a whole. If we look at these images of Poppy growing up (there is a much bigger gallery of her childhood on my website) you can see a clear line of photographical style, even as the little girl changes and grows.

collage of photos in black and white by Helen Bartlett

Of course confining yourself to black and white imposes limitations – no autumn colours, no glorious sunsets – but what you lose in range you more than make up in the opportunities black and white provides to build image portfolios over time that register change but still hold their consistency.

## Composing and the tools of the trade

The consistency isn’t only to do with style. Black and white strips an image to its essentials, and I think this lets the emotions come out more powerfully. The little looks, the fierce grip of a child’s hand to their parent, their brother or sister, their favourite bear. I believe we look at black and white images more deeply. Because they show us a world different from the garish one we see around us, they draw us into their mysteries. They suggest rather than showing or shouting.

But you have to get it right. With black and white imagery there is technically nowhere to hide, and  focusing on a picture’s composition and graphics has helped make me a better photographer. When I was a child, my Dad would make me look at my pictures upside down to see if the composition stood up to the test, and I think this attention to the building blocks of an image is essential. Now, shapes and patterns begin to dominate, light and dark areas stand out, faults in subject position are exaggerated, and negative space is starkly obvious. These are the tools of a black and white photographer’s trade, and it’s important to learn to be comfortable working with them. They are the keys to unlocking the timelessness and emotional depth that black and white images can offer.

multiple reflection of child walking by Helen Bartlett

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### Helen Bartlett

I have been working as a professional photographer for twelve years, specialising in black and white images of children and families. I am based in London and travel throughout the UK for my clients. When I’m not taking pictures, I love visiting London’s incredible art galleries, cooking, crime fiction, good films, great beers, boxing and long distance running.

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### 7 thoughts on “Why I choose to shoot in black and white”

1. 

Absolutely gorgeous images. I also love shooting in black and white…. I’ve just blogged about it yesterday as well!

2. 

fantastic story of you and your journey! thank you for sharing!!

3. 

What a great read this was.

4. 

Great article about B&W images. I so agree with you; they are timeless.

5. 

Kathryn Macaluso

Beautiful work! I too love B&W over color so it is very inspiring to see a photographer that shoots only in B&W. Thanks for sharing your story.

6. 

Thank you so much for your really kind comments, they have made my day!

7. 

I think you ROCK. I am doing a February all black and white challenge for my personal images…this was timely. Today was my first in camera black and white image…who knows…maybe it will stick 🙂

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