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Where photographers who shoot in black and white come to learn, share and grow

  • Overexposure, Underexposure and the Mood In Between

    Overexposure, Underexposure and the Mood In Between

    Your meter aims for middle gray, but the best black and white photographs rarely live there. Here is when to underexpose, when to overexpose, and how to do both on purpose.

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  • The Other Kind of Focus

    The Other Kind of Focus

    A photograph can be perfectly sharp and still leave us cold. Here is the difference between optical focus and emotional focus, and why black and white photographs depend on getting the second one right.

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  • The Collective Eye No. 7

    The Collective Eye No. 7

    Every week we feature one photograph from the Collective and invite honest feedback from the community. No names attached, no backstory beyond what the photographer was trying to achieve. Just the image, open for genuine critique.

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  • How Our Minds Organize a Black and White Photograph

    How Our Minds Organize a Black and White Photograph

    Nobody has ever seen a hunter in the night sky, yet we all see Orion. Here is Gestalt psychology in plain terms, and how the way our minds organize what they see can make black and white photographs stronger.

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  • Nikon’s Cheapest Full Frame Camera Has No Viewfinder

    Nikon’s Cheapest Full Frame Camera Has No Viewfinder

    Nikon’s new Z5IIC removes the electronic viewfinder to come in $450 under the Z5II, and keeps the same sensor and stabilization. Here is what it offers black and white photographers, and what it costs them.

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  • Cartier-Bresson Never Said a Word. Diane Arbus Knocked on the Door.

    Cartier-Bresson Never Said a Word. Diane Arbus Knocked on the Door.

    Henri Cartier-Bresson worked unseen. Diane Arbus walked up and got to know people. Two of the greatest black and white photographers, and two opposite answers to how close we should get.

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  • Photographer Spotlight: Danny Wong

    Photographer Spotlight: Danny Wong

    Danny Wong grew up understanding his family through photo albums. Now he carries one camera and one lens, photographs mood rather than a subject, and keeps coming back to black and white for the peace of it.

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  • Two Filters That Monochrome Photographers Need

    Two Filters That Monochrome Photographers Need

    Most filters have been replaced by software. The black mist filter and the ND filter have not, because they change the light before it reaches the sensor. Here is why both belong in a black and white photographer’s bag.

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  • Rhythm Is What Keeps the Eye Moving Through a Photograph

    Rhythm Is What Keeps the Eye Moving Through a Photograph

    Rhythm is what keeps the eye moving through a still photograph. Here is what it actually is, why the eye enjoys repetition so much, and how black and white photographers can find it, shape it and break it.

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  • How to Find a Photograph Inside the Chaos

    How to Find a Photograph Inside the Chaos

    Busy scenes are some of the hardest to photograph in black and white. Here is why chaos turns to gray noise without color, and how light, time, angle and patience can give a crowded frame a center.

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