Black and white photography is a number of monochrome forms in visual art. Monochrome comes from the Greek monochromos meaning “of one colour”, which is a combination of monos, meaning “alone” or “solitary” and chroma meaning “colour”. Quite basic when you break it down!

For Many decades black and white photography dominated the scene until colour was introduced. From the 16th century when the brightness and clarity of camera obscuras was improved by enlarging the hole with a telescope lens until now, we still admire the purity of black and white photography. It was not until the 17thCentury, 1727 to be exact, when Professor J. Schulze mixed chalk, nitric acid, and silver in a flask, that the first photosensitive compound was created. And in 1816 Nicéphore Niépce combines the camera obscura with photosensitive paper and created a permanent image in 1826.

In the past black and white dominated the media. Movies, television and even computers, were all monochrome. It was not until the middle of the 20th century that colour photography became popular. (more…

Tags: 16th Century, 20th Century, Black And White Photography, Camera Obscura, Camera Obscuras, Chalk, Clarity, Colour Photography, Disciplines, Flask, Impressions, Lights And Shadows, Nostalgia, Origins, Pce, Photographic Exhibitions, Photosensitive Paper, Purity, Telescope Lens, Visual Art