Sheffield Photographic Society: Demonstrating the effectiveness of black and white photography

This is clearly not the case in other visual media such as film and television but there is still a great liking for monochrome images in still photography. Even though the first colour photographs were taken in the 1860, our enduring romance with black and white image making continues to this day

In some ways black and white photography simplifies the image – it removes the distraction of colour. This allows the viewer to concentrate on other factors – form and texture; shape and pattern. Black and white images often convey a sense of timelessness and can evoke strong emotional response in the viewer.

From the photographer’s perspective taking colour out of the equation forces them to think about their image in different ways, the emphasis naturally shifts to other factors in the composition. This selection of images from this months online Forum competition at Sheffield Photographic Society demonstrates the effectiveness of black and white photography across a range of subjects and genres.