TL;DR: How to Edit Black and White Photos
Start with the right photograph. Look for interesting light, shadows, textures, and clear separation between your subject and background.
Convert the image to black and white. Use a monochrome profile or remove saturation, depending on your editing software.
Work on tonal separation. Adjust exposure, highlights, shadows, whites, and blacks to give different parts of the image definition.
Adjust individual color channels. If your editor supports a black-and-white mix, use it to control how original colors translate into shades of gray.
Refine the details. Use tone curves, dodging and burning, and selective adjustments where needed.
Review the finished image. Check that the subject stands out, important details remain visible, and the edit doesn't feel overprocessed.
I often move towards a black-and-white photograph. To me, a black-and-white conversion can make a photograph feel more intentional. But on the flipside, it can also make a perfectly good color photograph look flat. The difference often comes down to how you handle the tones.
When color disappears, the relationship between light and dark does much of the work. That's why I wouldn't start a black-and-white edit by increasing contrast or applying a filter. I'd start by looking at the photograph's light, shadows, and tonal separation.
In this guide, I'll walk through how I approach black-and-white photo editing, from choosing an image and converting it to monochrome to refining its tones and finishing the edit in a RAW photo editor.
What Makes a Good Black and White Photograph?
Before I start editing, I look for 4 things that will still make the image interesting without color.
Light and shadow
Light creates depth in a black-and-white photograph. Side lighting, window light, strong shadows, and backlighting can all give an image more dimension. A photograph with interesting light has something to work with before you touch a slider.
Tonal separation
This is one of the first things I check. If the subject and background have similar brightness, they may blend together after conversion. Look for differences in brightness that help distinguish the important parts of the frame.
Texture and detail
Black and white can bring attention to details that color sometimes distracts from. Think weathered walls, fabric, skin, tree bark, architecture, or the surface of water. Texture can add visual interest, especially when the image has a thoughtful composition.
Shape and composition
Without color to guide the eye, shapes, lines, patterns, and negative space become more noticeable. Strong compositions often translate well into monochrome because their visual structure doesn't depend on color.
Street photography is a good example. The relationship between people, buildings, light, and shadow can carry the photograph even without color. If you're interested in exploring this style, take a look at our beginner's guide to street photography.
I mentioned at the start of the blog that I often swing towards a good black and white photograph, but I don't think every photograph needs to become black and white. If the color is an important part of the story, removing it may take something away. I usually preview the conversion before deciding whether to spend time refining it.
How to Edit Black and White Photos
The exact controls will vary depending on your editing software, but the principles remain similar. Here's the workflow I'd follow.
Start With the Original Photograph
If you shoot RAW, start with the RAW file. It generally gives you more flexibility when adjusting exposure, highlights, shadows, and color information than a compressed JPEG.
That doesn't mean you can't edit a JPEG. You absolutely can. Just be aware that you may have less room to recover details in very bright or dark areas.
Before converting the image, look at its exposure and composition. Ask yourself:
Is the subject clearly visible?
Are the highlights too bright?
Are the shadows hiding important details?
Is there enough difference between the subject and background?
These observations will help guide the rest of the edit.
If you're still getting familiar with cameras, RAW files, and the equipment you need, our guide to building your first photography kit covers the basics.
Convert the Image to Black and White
Most photo editors offer a dedicated black-and-white or monochrome setting. Some also let you create a monochrome image by reducing saturation to zero.
Both approaches remove color, but the controls available afterward can differ. A dedicated black-and-white mode may give you additional control over how individual colors translate into gray.
Once you've converted the image, don't rush to adjust contrast. Take a moment to look at what changed.
A bright red object, for example, might now have a similar gray value to the background. A blue sky might lose the contrast it had against the clouds.
This is where the real editing begins.
Adjust Exposure, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, and Blacks
I like to work through the tonal range before making more localized adjustments.
Here's what each control does:
Exposure: Adjusts the overall brightness of the photograph.
Highlights: Controls the brighter areas, such as clouds, reflective surfaces, and illuminated skin.
Shadows: Controls darker areas where you may want to recover detail.
Whites: Adjusts the brighter end of the tonal range.
Blacks: Adjusts the darkest parts of the image.
Don't assume that a good black-and-white photograph needs completely black shadows and bright white highlights. Some images benefit from deep blacks and bright whites. Others look better with softer shadows and a narrower tonal range.
I use these controls to create separation, not to push every part of the image to an extreme.
Keep an eye on the histogram as you edit. It can help you spot areas where tones are being clipped, but you don't need the histogram to stretch from one edge to the other for every photograph.
You can read more about how to fix overexposed photos if you're dealing with an image that has lost detail in its brightest areas. This blog explains how to work with exposure and highlights.
Control How Original Colors Translate Into Gray
This is an important step that can make a noticeable difference to your final image.
When you convert a color photograph to black and white, the original colors don't simply disappear. They become different shades of gray. Depending on the conversion method, two colors that looked very different in the original photograph can end up with similar brightness.
A black-and-white mix or channel mixer lets you adjust how individual colors affect the monochrome image.
For example:
Blue: Adjusting the blue channel can change how a blue sky and other blue objects appear.
Green: Can affect the appearance of foliage and grassy areas.
Red and orange: Can influence skin tones, warm-colored objects, and some architectural details.
Yellow: Can affect sunlight, foliage, and other yellow-toned elements.
The effect depends on the original colors in the photograph and the editing software you're using.
I wouldn't move every channel just because the controls are available. Start with the part of the image you want to change. If the sky needs to look darker, for example, adjust the relevant channel and check how it affects the rest of the photograph.
The goal is to create separation without making the image look unnatural.
Refine Contrast With the Tone Curve
Once the overall tonal range is in place, the tone curve gives you more control over contrast.
A gentle S-curve is a common starting point. It darkens some shadows and brightens some highlights, adding contrast without changing the entire image uniformly.
But I wouldn't apply the same curve to every photograph.
A portrait may benefit from softer contrast that preserves detail in the face. A landscape might need more definition between the sky, mountains, and foreground. An architectural photograph may work well with stronger contrast that emphasizes lines and geometry.
Make small adjustments and watch how they affect the image. If you lose detail in the shadows or highlights, pull the curve back.
Use Dodging and Burning to Guide Attention
Dodging and burning are techniques for selectively brightening and darkening parts of an image.
I find them useful when the overall edit looks good but certain areas still need attention.
Dodging brightens selected areas. You can use it to bring attention to a face, lift a detail in the foreground, or make a subject stand out.
Burning darkens selected areas. It can help reduce distractions, deepen shadows, or draw attention away from parts of the frame.
You don't need to make dramatic changes. Subtle adjustments are often enough to guide the viewer's eye.
Refine Texture and Details
The final adjustments depend on the photograph.
For portraits, I'd be careful with clarity and texture. Increasing them too much can exaggerate skin details and make the image feel harsh.
For landscapes and architecture, additional texture or sharpening may help bring out surfaces and structural details.
You can also add grain if it suits the image. Film grain can give a photograph a particular texture, but it isn't a requirement for black-and-white editing. Use it because it supports the look you're after, not because every monochrome image needs it.
Compare the Original and Edited Images
Before exporting, compare the finished edit with the original color photograph.
I look at a few things:
Does the subject stand out from the background?
Are the important details still visible?
Do the highlights and shadows have enough separation?
Have I introduced distractions through excessive contrast or sharpening?
Does the black-and-white version communicate something the color version doesn't?
If the image feels flat, don't automatically increase contrast. Go back and identify where the tonal separation is missing.
That small distinction can make a big difference to the final result.
How to Approach Different Types of Black and White Photos
The same editing workflow won't produce the same result across every type of photograph. Here's where I'd approach each one differently.
Portraits
For portraits, I pay attention to skin tones, facial features, and the relationship between the subject and the background.
I generally prefer to preserve detail in the highlights and shadows rather than push the contrast too far. A little dodging and burning can help bring attention to the eyes and facial structure.
Landscapes
Landscapes often have several layers to work with: the sky, distant elements, foreground, and textures in between.
I'd focus on creating separation between those layers. Adjusting the blue channel can help with skies, while selective adjustments can bring out details in the foreground.
Architecture and Street Photography
Architecture gives you lines, shapes, patterns, and shadows to work with. Strong contrast can emphasize these elements, but it's worth checking that darker areas don't lose all their detail.
For street photography, I'd look at the relationship between people, buildings, and available light. A well-placed shadow or a bright subject against a darker background can make the composition more compelling.
Common Black and White Editing Mistakes to Avoid
A few editing habits can make an otherwise good photograph feel flat or overworked.
Relying only on desaturation
Removing color doesn't automatically create a strong monochrome image. You still need to work on tonal separation, contrast, and the relationship between different parts of the frame.
Increasing contrast too much
Deep blacks and bright whites can look striking, but excessive contrast can hide details and make the image harsh. Adjust contrast based on the subject and lighting.
Ignoring the original colors
The colors in your original photograph affect how the monochrome conversion looks. If your editor offers channel adjustments, use them to control the brightness of specific elements.
Lifting every shadow
Bringing up shadows can reveal detail, but it can also make the photograph look flat. Some dark areas are useful for creating depth and directing attention.
Overusing clarity and sharpening
More detail isn't always better. Excessive clarity or sharpening can exaggerate textures and introduce an unnatural appearance.
Using the same settings for every photograph
A portrait, a landscape, and an architectural photograph have different tonal requirements. Use presets and copied settings as starting points, not finished edits.
Edit Black and White RAW Photos With Photon
You don't need an expensive editing subscription to work on black-and-white photographs. Photon is a free RAW photo editor by Aftershoot, built for photographers who want control over their edits without an unnecessarily complicated workflow.
You can start with a RAW photograph, remove its color using the available saturation controls, and refine the image using manual adjustments such as exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, and blacks.
If you're still learning how these adjustments work, Photon's AI Coach can offer suggestions and explain what to change and why. That gives you a way to understand the editing process rather than simply applying a preset and moving on.
Photon also supports a non-destructive editing workflow, so you can experiment with your adjustments without permanently changing the original photograph.
If you're weighing up your editing software options, you can also read our comparison of Affinity vs. Lightroom.
The Bottom Line
I don't think every black-and-white photograph needs dramatic contrast, crushed shadows, or a vintage film look. Some images do work better with soft highlights and gentle transitions between tones. Others need stronger contrast to bring out their shapes and textures.
What matters is that the subject remains clear, the light feels purposeful, and the different elements of the photograph work together.
Don't chase a particular slider value or copy a preset just because it worked on another image. Start by looking at the photograph. Understand where it needs more separation, and make adjustments from there.
That's what turns a color photograph into a considered black-and-white edit.
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Edit Black and White Photos
How do I make a black-and-white photo look less gray and flat?
Start by looking at the difference between the subject and background. Adjust the highlights, shadows, whites, and blacks to create more tonal separation. If your editor has a black-and-white mix, use it to change how specific colors translate into gray. Avoid increasing global contrast before identifying what's making the image look flat.
How do I get deeper blacks and brighter whites without losing detail?
Use the Blacks and Whites controls to adjust the darkest and brightest parts of the image gradually. Watch for clipping, especially in areas where you want to preserve texture. You don't need every shadow to be completely black or every highlight to be pure white.
How do I make black-and-white edits consistent across a set of photos?
Start with a reference image that has the look you want. You can copy its settings or create a preset, then apply it as a starting point to other photographs. Adjust each image individually because differences in lighting, exposure, and original colors will affect the result.
Should I shoot in black and white or convert color photos later?
If you shoot RAW, you can generally preserve the original color information and convert the photograph to black and white during editing. This gives you more flexibility to experiment with different monochrome treatments. You can still use your camera's black-and-white preview to help visualize the composition while shooting.
How do I know which color photos will look good in black and white?
Look for photographs with interesting light, shadows, textures, shapes, and clear subject-background separation. Color isn't the only thing that makes a photograph interesting. Try a monochrome preview and see whether the composition still holds up without it.
