10 Famous Photographers That Shot in Black and White

Photography is an art form with a shorter history compared to others like painting or sculpture. However, it still boasts some important names that deeply influenced the art world.

Whether they photographed portraits, fashion, landscapes, or still nature, the following names have taken iconic images throughout history that have shaped the way black-and-white photography is regarded today.

In this article, we will take a look at the most revered photographers and their contributions as respected artists. Many of these names have inspired me in my work as a photographer, which you might notice in my online portfolio.

10 Famous Black-and-White Photographers in History

From a renowned war photographer to a woman who took some of the most famous portraits of all time, this list will take you through ten of the most important names in fine art photography and explain how they contributed to the art of monochromatic images.

1. Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson, hailed as the most influential photographer of the 20th century and the father of photojournalism, co-founded Magnum Photos and left a legacy that continues to inspire.

Born in France in 1908, Cartier-Bresson transitioned from painting to photography in 1929, driven by a gifted camera. His purchase of a Leica in 1931 defined his street photography style, capturing spontaneous, fleeting moments he called ‘the decisive moment.’ His iconic black-and-white images, like ‘Place de l’Europe Gare Saint Lazare,’ exemplify his mastery.

Cartier-Bresson’s approach teaches photographers to immerse themselves in their surroundings and let images emerge naturally, making him an example for any fine art photographer.

2. Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams, one of the most famous landscape photographers, is known for his striking black-and-white nature photos that express deep emotion.

His work, featured in In the National Parks: Photographs from America’s Wild Places, expertly plays with light and shadows to highlight the vastness of natural scenery, letting viewers appreciate its grandeur. Adams’s talent was first noticed during a 1916 family trip to Yosemite, where he used a Kodak Brownie camera.

His impressive career transformed landscape photography, and his monochrome images continue to influence and inspire photographers, proving the power of black-and-white photography.

3. Robert Capa

The documentary photography of the D-Day assault by Robert Capa, who was born in Hungary, is, without a doubt, among the finest photos of our time. The two most prominent and well-known of his images are The Falling Soldier and a photo of a soldier in the renowned assault on Omaha Beach.

All of Capa's work during his lifetime was monochrome. He documented numerous conflicts through photography, including the World War II Omaha Beach invasion, the Indochina War, the Spanish Civil War, the Second Sino-Japanese War, and the Arab-Israeli War of 1948.

4. Harold Feinstein

Harold Feinstein is a highly acclaimed New York City photographer known for his stunning black-and-white images of the iconic Coney Island, where he was born and raised.

Coney Island, which Harold deemed a photographer's paradise, quickly became his favorite location to capture on film. Here is where he composed the majority of his masterful black-and-white photographs.

He started taking pictures when he was 18 years old and quickly became successful. When he was in his 30s, critics considered him a pioneer of the New York school of photography and an expert in his field.

5. Martine Franck

Her documentary and portrait work brought her international notoriety as a photographer. Focusing on important cultural figures like painter Marc Chagall and philosopher Michel Foucault, among many others, she frequently favored black-and-white photography over color.

Magna Brava: Magnum's Women Photographers showcases her remarkable body of work and solidifies her position as a photography legend.

6. Fan Ho

Fan Ho is known for his work as an actor, director, and photographer. In his groundbreaking use of a film camera to capture black-and-white images, this self-taught photographer changed the face of photography forever.

His honest, black-and-white photography captures ordinary life through the utilization of unique light and shadow. Pictures of children, street vendors, slums, alleys, and city life were among his most popular works.

7. Dorothea Lange

Dorothea Lange, a key figure in American photography, began as a portrait photographer before shifting to documentary work. Her black-and-white photos focus on the human element, using portraits to tell compelling stories.

During the Great Depression, Lange's powerful images of the struggling middle class earned her significant influence and success. Her work, including the famous Migrant Mother photo, showcases the emotional depth of black-and-white photography.

8. Herbert List

Herbert List was an innovative photographer who revolutionized portraiture, still life, and fashion photography. The minimalist arrangements that he used, drawing inspiration from the surrealist and Bauhaus schools of thought, brought out the sculptural qualities of his subjects in his groundbreaking work.

He was one of the most influential photographers in the Fotografia Metafisica style and a major force in the development of the medium; his use of monochrome tones further underlined the classical tone of his work.

9. Sebastião Salgado

The monochromatic photos created by Sebastião Salgado are famous for their strength and ability to convey profound problems that our generation is grappling with. Throughout his nearly fifty-year career, he has visited over 120 countries, shooting what are arguably some of the most moving and unsettling photographs ever seen and working on many ambitious documentary projects, the most recent of which being Amazonia.

Salgado collaborated closely with twelve indigenous communities over six years to take hundreds of breathtaking black-and-white photos that portray the Amazon's spectacular majesty, extraordinary biodiversity, and rich cultural diversity.

10. Elliot Erwitt

Born in Paris, Elliot Erwitt spent the next seven decades amassing a vast and varied body of work that has inspired and impacted photographers and fans for decades.

His body of work spans several photographic genres, from photojournalism and commercial photography to street photography, which features some of the most beautiful and iconic photos of its kind. His ability to portray the world as it is, together with his skill and devotion to his art, are all evidenced by his lasting impact.

Final Thoughts

It doesn’t matter if you’re a fashion photographer, a landscape photographer, or anything in between. If you want to master the art of black-and-white photography, learning about those who have taken some of the most famous images in history is an important step in developing your artistic vision and career.

Have you heard about any of these photographers before reading this article? If so, which? Let me know in the comments below!