Black & White Lightroom Presets

Removing color from a photograph does not necessarily make the image simpler. Without color, attention moves toward other relationships: light and shadow, texture, contrast, shape and the transition between different tones. This is one reason black and white photography has remained important throughout the history of the medium.

The Digital Darkroom approaches monochrome photography through the traditions of film, darkroom printing and photographic interpretation.

Black and white is not simply desaturation

Converting a color photograph to black and white is technically straightforward. Creating a convincing monochrome photograph is something else. Different colors translate into different shades of grey. A red object and a green object may appear similar after a simple conversion, even though they were clearly separated in the original scene. The photographer therefore has to decide how those colors should relate to one another once color is removed. This is where much of the character of black and white photography comes from.

Light becomes the subject

Without color competing for attention, light often becomes more visible. A face can be described through subtle tonal transitions. Architecture can become a study in geometry. A street photograph can be reduced to gestures, shadows and movement. Contrast becomes particularly important. Too little contrast can make an image feel flat. Too much can remove the delicate information contained in the midtones. The most effective treatment depends on the photograph.

The history of monochrome photography

For much of photography's history, black and white was not an aesthetic choice. It was simply the dominant photographic medium. Photographers developed different films, developers, papers and printing methods to achieve very different interpretations. Some pursued deep blacks and strong contrast. Others worked with delicate greys and subtle tonal transitions.

A starting point rather than a formula

A black and white preset establishes an initial tonal interpretation of the photograph. It can change the relationship between colors, establish contrast and create a particular atmosphere. But the final image still depends on the original photograph. Portraits, landscapes, architecture and street photography all require different approaches.

Digital tools, darkroom thinking

The modern digital darkroom provides extraordinary control. Exposure, contrast, color channels, curves and grain can all be adjusted after the photograph has been made. Our aim is to combine that flexibility with ideas developed through traditional photographic practice. The preset gives you a place to begin. The photograph determines where you finish.

Explore black and white Lightroom presets

Explore the monochrome and darkroom-inspired tools from The Digital Darkroom and find a different way of working with light, texture and tone.