famous black and white photographers

Some of the greatest photographers of all time, who have captured photos that we still marvel at today, had no choice but to take their pictures in black and white. It’s easy for us nowadays to take for granted the powerful capabilities of modern DSLR cameras, which allow us to capture colored photos. Ultimately though, it’s not the camera’s capabilities but the photographer’s vision and talent that determines if great photos are produced.
Below you will find 8 renowned black and white photographers who have helped shaped photography that we know now. Analyze how these photographers composed the shots, how they create natural contrast in their photos and the photograph’s underlying themes – you’ll definitely gain some worthy knowledge.

Black and White Photographers

Ansel Adams

No black and white photographer list – or photographer list in general – would be complete without Ansel Adams. His photographs are renowned for their crisp detail, realistic depth and rich blacks and whites. Ansel specialized in photographing natural landscapes and urban life.

 

Strong use of repetition and texture.

Dorothea Lange

Dorothea Lange is a famous depression era photographer. Her photograph, Migrant Mother, is one of my favorite historical photographs. Her work manages to encapsulate the raw emotion of the times as well as show her subjects in a humanistic light.

The little girl's face on the left - priceless.

Migrant Mother is Lange's most famous photograph.

Man Ray

Man Ray was a master in avante-garde photography. His photos have a distinctly surreal quality about them, and sensuality through human form.  He became a popular fashion photographer and often used a technique called solarization, which is used in photography even today.

Solarization technique in action

Henri Cartier Bresson

Henri Cartier Bresson is known as the father of photojournalism. As photographers, we know that it takes only one frame to capture the perfect shot, taking that crucial shot though is the great challenge; Bresson was a master at capturing that special moment.

Tense scene with a gestapo informer

Robert frank

Robert Frank is considered one of the founding fathers of American photography. He viewed the world around him skeptically, he thought America at the time seemed too materialistic and his photographs carry a subversive quality that challenge viewer’s perceptions.

Diane Arbus

Diane Arbus’s photographs focus heavily on society’s outcasts; She has taken photographs of dwarfs, transsexuals, people with deformities and people who are considered odd or ugly by mainstream society. Her photographs rivet the viewer through its interesting subjects.

Jewish giant in home

Sally Mann

Sally Mann gained fame from her personal family photos that she took of her children. The photographs sparked controversy when it was first exhibited due to nudity, though Mann defended herself, reasoning that she took the photographs as a mother who saw her children in all the various states. Time magazine named her “America’s Best Photographer” in 2001.

Andreas Feininger

Andreas Feininger is most remembered for his stunning photographs of New York and its architecture. He deftly captures the bustling bright streets, the dense crowds and the grand skyscrapers that tower over city.







Black and white photography is arguably the most popular photographic style ever. There are several reasons why: the simplicity of black and white, the natural contrast the colors create and the way it places focus on the picture’s emotion and its subjects.
Even with technological limitations, the emotional and creative impact of their photos are not affected. You realize that these photographers use the format to their advantage, the limitations of color actually become its strength. I hope this selection of black and white photographers have inspired you to explore and improve your own photographic skills!