Why Black and White is Perfect for Lifestyle Photography

If you're anything like me, you love color. Bright warm golds, saturated reds, moody greens, and deep blues naturally draw my eye. The colors pull us in and make us feel some measure of how it is to be in that place at that time.

As much as I love color, I also adore a black and white moment. So much comes to the fore when you're working in shades of gray, details you may never have seen in full brilliant color.

Zoomed in and without a gradient of color, areas of contrast pop out.

A shining ring.

The creases on little feet.

How very tiny a newborn hand or foot really is.

These special but quiet details can shine in black and white photographs, without the distractions of colors.

Much like the details, quiet and unassuming moments become remarkable in black and white. With no color to look at, the subjects themselves are the primary point of interest.

And because the subjects are so central to this method of photography, personalities really have their moment in the sun. With no color, expression is immediately the highlight of the photo.

A black and white photo shows a young boy in a flight suit and a ball cap walking and holding his mother's hand.

A black and white image shows a young boy standing in a field gazing at a large rocket ship.

There is a timeless element to these photos that brings out the humanity of their subjects. We can connect with our past as we see ourselves in black and white. Although our ancestors were photographed in black and white, they lived in full color, just like us.