Hey friend! Have you noticed more and more black and white feeds taking over Instagram lately? There‘s something so mysteriously elegant about monochrome aesthetics. I‘m excited for you to join the trend!
Let‘s transform your profile into an eye-catching black and white oasis. But first, why go greyscale at all?
The Benefits of a Black & White Instagram Aesthetic
These creative perks will convince you…
Stand Out
In a sea of rainbow colored grids, a monochrome profile looks impressively unique. You‘ll mesmerize scrollers with an unexpected surprise.
Take Striking Low Light Photos
Color needs ample lighting. But black and white photography thrives in moody, atmospheric settings. Take vivid low light shots sans flash.
Convey Artistic Personality
Monochrome editing lends an edgy, avant garde vibe. Showcase your stylish, cultured aesthetic. Give your feed gallery appeal.
Edit Flexibly Without Worrying About Color Balance
No more struggling to color correct orange sodium street lamps or blue hour tones. You can edit contrast creatively without throwing off skin tones.
Emphasize Texture, Shape and Form
Without color distractions, you can highlight the curves, cracks and dimensionality of subjects. Photos feel almost 3D.
The Popularity of Black and White Instagram Feeds
Black and white feeds capture attention because they stand out as unusual. Though color remains dominant, monochrome is a rapidly growing trend.
According to Later analytics, black and white is the 7th most popular Instagram filter. Use has increased 183% year-over-year as users creatively push boundaries.
So you have an opportunity to ride an up-and-coming wave!
Now let‘s peek at some impressive real-world examples…
Inspirational Black and White Instagram Accounts
These talented photographers will wow you with their stellar greyscale feeds. Study what makes their images visually stunning.
Architecture – @andreasgoerss
This account takes striking black and white architectural photos exclusively on an iPhone. The monochrome editing puts focus on shapes, light and shadows. Their feed has a gloomy, suave aesthetic.
Ballerinas – @ayakovlevcom
This photographer captures graceful ballerinas in black and white. Occasional pops of color stand out dramatically against the greyscale base. The consistency gives cohesion.
Portraiture – @abu888
This photographer feels color can add a sense of desperation to human subjects. His minimalist black and white portraits have a timeless feel.
Street Photography – @harutin2
With almost 40k followers, this account proves you can gain a huge following with iPhone black and white street photography.
Let these talented artists inspire your own black and white aesthetic! Now let‘s talk techniques…
Shooting Tips for Black and White Photos
We‘ll start with photography tips for taking eye-catching shots to later convert to greyscale glory.
Focus on Dramatic Lighting
Black and white photography benefits from high contrast between light and shadows. When shooting, purposefully position subjects in pools of light against dark backgrounds. Side-lighting that sculpts the subject with shadows works wonderfully too.
When shooting cityscapes, intentionally frame buildings with bright skies behind to maximize this contrast effect.
Embrace Gritty Texture
Brick, weathered paint, rough concrete, gnarled branches…look for surfaces with visual interest. Shoot so they fill much of the frame. Unusual structural shapes also pop in monochrome.
Go in Close
Getting in close removes extraneous background distractions. Shoot portraits so the subject fills most of the frame. For street scenes, fill the frame with an architectural detail that catches your eye.
Now let‘s polish photos to perfection in editing…
Editing Basics for Black and White Photos
We‘ll use the Lightroom app for demonstration. First, follow these steps to convert any photo black and white:
- Import image
- Select B&W preset under Presets panel
- Adjust tone/contrast to preference with sliders
This will get you 80% of desired results quickly. But let‘s break it down step-by-step…
Adjust Contrast
Boost contrast to heighten drama between lights and darks. The Contrast slider directly controls midtone contrast, so crank it up high. Or try an aggressive Black & White Contrast curve for even more intensity.
Brighten Key Areas
Use the Exposure slider to brighten highlights. Also try brushing over key areas like eyes with the Adjustment Brush set to higher Exposure. This targeted brightening draws attention.
Add Grain
A slight grain can accentuate the film noir vibe. Try between 10-20 grain amount. Too much looks overly gritty. For luminous glow, add negative Clarity instead around -20.
Take your black and white editing up a notch with these bonus tips…
Advanced Black & White Photo Editing Techniques
Want to take your feed to the next level? Take advantage of these bonus pro techniques for extra polish.
Partial Desaturation
For dramatic color pops, desaturate the whole photo to black and white first with HSL panel. Then use a brush tool to paint back in color selectively to just part of the image.
Boost Eyes
Add a linear mask around the eyes then brighten with +10 Exposure. Optionally warm eyes slightly yellow/orange for added "sparkle". Subtle but powerful for portraits.
Okay, photos are shot and edited to perfection! Now let‘s optimize your profile…
Planning & Scheduling a Cohesive Black & White Feed
The final polish for a visually stunning monochrome grid comes down to precise planning.
Use these helpful tools:
Preview Feed Order – Planoly
This app lets you rearrange photos to finalize image order before posting. Useful for visualizing the exact look you want. Costs $9/month.
Organize Edits – Lightroom
Import your photos into Lightroom, edit them, then organize all black and white edits into Albums by style or date. Quick access for batch editing. Free up to 20GB photo storage.
Schedule Posts – Later
This popular Instagram planner has a Drag & Drop calendar so you can plan posts in advance. Schedule all photos for the month in alluring black and white groupings. Handy analytics features too.
So there you have it my friend – everything you need to know to completely transform your Instagram feed into an eye catching black and white masterpiece!
I can‘t wait to see your stunning creations. Once your new moody feed is up, make sure to tag me @greyscaleguide so I can feature your photos! Let‘s take Insta by storm.