Rome is almost made for black and white photography. It’s textures—the worn stone, the cracked plaster, the way shadows stretch across cobblestones. Or maybe it’s the stories, the kind that don’t need color to be felt. Colours can have some strong expression too, but black and white always keep the elegance and unspoiled expression.

One of my favorite frames from the workshop was a moment: a woman standing with an umbrella, arms full of belongings, a newspaper tucked under one arm, looking up as if waiting for something—or someone. Dancing a bit this lively woman acted more when she saw she was being photographed.  Captured in black and white, the scene becomes something else entirely. It’s no longer just a person in a city. It’s a study in contrast. In posture. In presence.

The power of black and white

That’s the power of black and white. It strips away distraction and leaves you with the essence: light, shadow, form, and emotion. It forces you to see differently—to compose with tone instead of hue, to feel the weight of a shadow or the brightness of a face.

During the workshop, we talked a lot about this. About how black and white photography isn’t just a stylistic choice—it’s a mindset. How colour shows clothings and can be as wonderful. In both genres it’s about understanding how light defines a scene, how it sculpts a subject. And in a city like Rome, where the light is constantly shifting—bouncing off marble, filtering through alleyways, glowing golden in the late afternoon—it becomes a playground for monochrome storytelling.

All images here are shot with the Leica M9, and often the straight out of camera JPEG´s works great. If I need to adjust more, I use the side-by-side added RAW capture, which I also use to have the colour version option available.

As we moved through the streets, I encouraged participants to shoot with light in mind. To look for contrast, for texture, for simplicity. Noticing where the light comes from and what quality it has.

Rome gave us the light. Black and white gave us the language to speak it.

More about upcoming and long planned photo workshops at the WORKSHOP PAGE. Get a great experience and join too.