Editing black and white images from White Sands
During my recent landscape photography trip to White Sands National Park, I focused on black-and-white images in the late morning and early afternoon—when the sun blazes overhead, shadows deepen, and contrast intensifies. These conditions may be harsh for color photography, but they are ideal for black and white.
Without color, the rules shift. Light and shadow take center stage, forming bold geometric shapes and lines. Stripping away color removes distractions, forcing every line and shape to contribute to the whole—much like minimalist design, where imperfections stand out when there’s nothing to hide behind.
Perhaps most importantly, black and white frees me from chasing golden hour. Instead of waiting for the perfect light, I can be shooting. Hours I once spent grumbling about “bad light” now become opportunities, allowing me to return home with more images than if I had focused solely on color.
Shooting black and white with a digital, raw camera offers unique benefits over film. Notably, the ability to manipulate and control tonal values using the color information baked into the raw file.
All raw image editors can create fantastic black and white images, but the editor I enjoy most is Nik Silver Efex. This app has been around for many years, nearly a decade longer in fact than Adobe Lightroom. The app hasn't changed all that much from its early days, but its current owner (DxO) has helped modernize and optimize the app for current gen hardware.
Why bother using a separate app for editing black and white? Because Silver Efex has unique editing controls built especially for black and white photography. The app also comes with a number of pre-built presets, color toning profiles, and multiple midtone contrast controls to strengthen detail and separation. In my latest video, I share a number of black and white images created during the trip (good and not so good ones), then delve into editing one image using Silver Efex and Photoshop.
If you're a fan of black and white photography, I recommend downloading a free trial. Also check out my original review of Silver Efex, which is still relevant today.
