May 30, 2023: Why don’t we see more black and white images in the media? Well in simple terms, they just don’t sell. Sure they can be more moody and somber and they often provide clarity by removing distractions from the image target but media buyers rarely search for them. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love monochome images and have some hanging on my walls. Fine arts photographers do amazing things in black and white that sell into that market very well but its a special niche in photography. 

Sometimes there’s no alternative to black and white, especially with historical images. Below are shots I took on a Mamiya RB67 in 1980. The Mamiya is a 6x7cm medium format film camera and is really suited to landscapes but its heavy and cumbersome to use compared to today’s digital speedsters. There’s also a big cost difference between uploading images in Lightroom and send your film to be processed and scanned.