BNW

bnw, short for black and white, is a term used to describe images, media, or design that use only shades of gray, from black to white, without color. In photography, film, and graphic design it can refer to a discipline, a style, or a processed image that lacks color information.

Historically, most of early photography and cinema were monochrome due to technical limits; color photography became widespread in the late 20th century, but bnw has persisted as an artistic choice. In contemporary practice, bnw is used for mood, emphasis on light, texture, and form, or to evoke a vintage or documentary feel. Digital tools allow straightforward conversion to grayscale or the use of selective color and toning.

Techniques used in bnw include grayscale conversion, channel mixing, and tonal adjustments that affect contrast and brightness. Photographers often consider dynamic range, texture, and grain, with filter effects (digital equivalents of red, yellow, or green filters) that mimic traditional darkroom adjustments. Black-and-white imagery tends to emphasize composition, geometry, edges, and tonal relationships rather than color cues.

Applications and notable practitioners: bnw is common in fine-art photography, documentary work, street photography, and portraiture. Notable practitioners include Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Diane Arbus, Robert Frank, and Sebastião Salgado, all known for extensive work in black-and-white. In cinema, directors may shoot or release works in bnw for artistic reasons or historical ambiance.

Related concepts include grayscale, monochrome, and duotone. The term also appears in design palettes that use grayscale only, sometimes with a single accent color.