Black-and-white photography holds a special place in our hearts here at LensCulture, and we’re happy to see so many talented contemporary photographers choosing to share their visions of the world with all of the artistic nuance that comes with hundreds of shades of grey. Here we revisit 26 of the most popular recent articles that feature black-and-white photography – portfolios, essays, interviews, exhibitions and book reviews. There are many gems and great discoveries here.
Photos that Should Not be Possible
In “Wee Muckers – Youth of Belfast”, Toby Binder captures the ebbs and flows of teenage life across the divided communities of Northern Ireland. Photographs by Toby Binder. Essay by Sean Sheehan.
When Home Won’t Let You Stay
Using a box camera, Bangladeshi photographer Shahria Sharmin’s arresting portraits bear witness to the plight of the Rohingya youth living in camps in the south of the country. Photographs by Shahria Sharmin. Text by Rachel Wolfe.
appa and other animals
Disrupting the photographic gaze through drawing, text and digital manipulation, Madhavan Palanisamy creates an offbeat tribute to his father that is brimming with wonder. Photographs by Madhavan Palanisamy. Essay by Lodoe-Laura Haines-Wangda.
Myth of a Woman
Agnieszka Sosnowska’s striking self-portraits chronicle rural life in the volatile landscape of her adopted homeland, East Iceland. Photographs by Agnieszka Sosnowska. Interview by Rachel Wolfe.
Words and Pictures
An online exhibition at MoMA pays tribute to the iconic photographer Dorothea Lange, whose work and legacy has never felt more relevant when viewed against the backdrop of our changing world. Photographs by Dorothea Lange. Online exhibition review by Magali Duzant.
Sleep Creek
This experiment in shared authorship weaves together an enigmatic imaginary New England location out of spellbinding monochrome vignettes. Photographs by Dylan Hausthor & Paul Guilmoth. Book review by Cat Lachowskyj.
Summer Camp
In this beautiful monograph, Mark Steinmetz distills the timeless adventure of American summer camp into a series of tender observations on the nature of adolescence. Photographs by Mark Steinmetz. Book review by Justin Herfst.
Highway 61
Actress and photographer Jessica Lange invites us on an epic journey: through the States, through the artist’s memory, and through our collective nostalgia. Photographs by Jessica Lange. Book review by W. Scott Olsen.
Purgatorio
Ignacio Iturrioz’s brooding project is an ode to the memory of solitude, to the night, and to a mysterious building filled with eccentric characters. Photographs by Ignacio Iturrioz. Text by Justin Herfst
Urban Street Portraits
Swiss photographer Jens Krauer takes to the streets to share some insider insights and talk about what drives his impulse to document our urban lives. Photographs by Jens Krauer. Essay by Gina Williams.
Mundane
Both bewitching and sinister, these staged photographs take a contemplative approach to the news stories of gruesome violence that reach Bangladesh’s headlines every day. Photographs by Salma Abedin Prithi. Interview by Amy Parrish.
Stille Berge
Rejecting the stereotypical approach to photographing sublime mountain ranges in the light of day, this photographer instead points his lens towards the snowy peaks of the Alps at night. Photographs and text by Michael Schnabel.
Pending Memories
This collaborative photo project breaks down the traditional understanding of documentary photography as a medium necessarily bound to reality. Photographs and text by Adrián Fernández Milanés.
The Abstract Underpinnings of Black and White: A Conversation with Barbara Tannenbaum
Journey across photography’s history through the Cleveland Museum of Art’s photography collection, as its head curator shares her insights on the enduring draw of black and white work. Photographs from the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Interview by Sophie Wright.
Down by the Hudson
Caleb Stein’s monochrome collection of portraits is an “ode” to the small town of Poughkeepsie, that finds its resolution in the edenic summer atmosphere of the local swimming spot. Photographs by Caleb Stein. Interview by Sophie Wright.
Letter from Russia - Malinikha Stories
A compelling personal story — told with black-and-white photos and conversational captions — about coming of age in a working class town in Russia. Photographs and text by Evgeniy Petrachkov.
The Fume of Sighs
By stripping the world of color, this photographer uses black and white processes to visualize the emotional experiences that come with mourning and friendship. Photographs by Camilo Leon-Quijano. Essay by Cat Lachowskyj.
Bond
Hiking for months on end through a remote archipelago in Finland, artist Anna Reivilä uses Japanese bonding techniques to create striking land art. Photographs by Anna Reivilä. Interview by Cat Lachowskyj.
Grandma Divers
An ancient fishing tradition on the island of Jeju endures today, continued by the Haenyeo women or the ‘women of the sea’—a group of free-divers all over the age of 50. Photographs by Alain Schroeder. Text by Sophie Wright.
Scene: When photography intervenes in street theater of the real
A dark, moody, cinematic new photobook and exhibition raise questions about the role of photography as a hybrid of documentary, mediated reality, and art. Photographs by Alex Majoli. Review by Jim Casper.
Liberty Theatre
After the devastating Charlottesville riots of 2017, Rosalind Fox Solomon returned to her decades-old photographs of the American South, realizing her symbolic images resonate today just as much as they did when she first clicked her shutter release. Photographs and photobook by Rosalind Fox Solomon. Text by Jon Levitt.
Twentysix Billboards
Taking inspiration from seminal photographers like Ed Ruscha, Walker Evans and the Bechers, this photographer documents the overlooked sides of billboards of L.A. Photographs and text by Klaus Frahm
I can’t find the right word
In a series of collaborative self portraits, this photographer explores the complexities of how we label identity, from gender stereotypes to motherhood. Photographs and text by Maria Dupovkina.
Black Queer Diaspora in the Netherlands
Powerful, defiant portraits that speak to the prevailing strength and presence of LGBTQ people of color in the Netherlands. Photographs by Dustin Thierry. Text by Cat Lachowskyj.
pole vault
As they stretch and glide through the air, these athletes are photographed in quiet, small moments of physical grace and temporary weightlessness. Photographs by Klaus Lenzen.
Cinematography: From Still to Movie
The award-winning Polish cinematographer talks about the tremendous importance of still photography in creating his movies — especially his film, Ida, shot in luscious black-and-white. Photographs by and interview with Ryszard Lenczewski. Interview by Alex Strecker.