We photographers love a black and white edit..

Recently on Tiktok I saw a video of a wedding photographer and videographer (playfully) insulting each other. One of the videographer’s comments was “Do your clients know they got so many black and white photos because you messed up the settings on your camera?”

Which…fair.

Sometimes a photo that doesn’t quite work in color is absolutely gorgeous in black and white. But does that mean it’s a bad photo? Absolutely not! I believe that editing is all about intention, and there’s a lot of things a black and white edit can do for a photo. You have to think about the story you’re trying to tell, and the emotion the photo invokes.

Reasons I edit in black and white:

To Eliminate Distractions

While I absolutely love color, sometimes it’s too much. Sometimes there’s so much going on in the photo that limiting the color is the best way to draw the eye to the subject you’re highlighting. This is especially true with high contrast photos. With bright highlights and dark blacks, some photos with a lot of contrast benefit from losing the color. A black and white edit celebrates the contrast instead of allowing it to confuse you.

To Highlight the Emotion

Weddings are emotional. You’re surrounded by all of your loved ones on one of the most important days of your lives. There’s tears, laughter, fond memories, and reunions. Sometimes a black and white edit simplifies a photo in a way that lets you feel more complex emotions. What you lose from this is nothing compared to what you’ve gained.

To Give it a Vintage or Even Vogue Look

Sometimes black and white is just a vibe! It can make a photo feel more vintage and nostalgic (think grain), or when paired with direct flash, make it feel more editorial. Like walking down the runway. It’s our job as photographers to understand our client’s preferences and curate, edit, and deliver their visions.

And Yes, Sometimes to Save a Photo

I guess I’ll say the quiet part out loud here. Not every photo is a winner. In fact, many of them require a bit of work. Sometimes the lighting at a venue is bad. Or a photo you desperately love is just slightly out of focus. When you edit with intention, any imperfections then seem intentional. And that’s not a bad thing! It’s just part of being a photographer. Knowing when and how to save a photo that could be great.

When I first started putting together a list of all my favorite black and white photos from 2025, I ended up with a “downloads” folder of about 90 photos…which seemed a little bit excessive. So, I’ve tried to narrow it down to just 10. To my 2025 couples, if you don’t see your photo on here, please know that if I had all the time in the world to write this blog post, it definitely would be =)

1. The Blurry Wedding Party

This is a photo you may have seen on social media! Keeping the couple in focus while the wedding party walks past them in a blur has been trending for a while now, and I have to say I’m a fan. This was my first time attempting this technique, and I really loved the end result. It’s a fun, easy, creative image to add to any wedding day. It’s also a lot of fun for the wedding party and helps them feel more involved.

The reason it was added to the black and white list? This photo is achieved with a slow shutter speed. That means colors are more washed out and any movement creates blur. By editing in black and white, I was able to add contrast back into the photo, keep the couple the focus, and disguise any blur that wasn’t intentional.

2. Emotional Father First Look

A lot of dads tend to have a stiff upper lip. During most first looks, there’s smiles and hugs (which are great), but every once in a while you capture an image that shows the true happiness and emotion of the moment in their eyes. Something about this photo just moves me, and I had to add it to the list. Coming up on my own wedding, I know this moment is what I’d want with my own dad.

3. A Window of Focus

What I love about this photo is the way the white of the sky and veil frame their faces perfectly. The eye is immediately drawn to where it’s supposed to go. By editing this photo in black and white, the contrast between the lights and darks was highlighted, giving the image that much more impact.

4. All Star Moment

Sarah and Phoebe’s wedding had a surprise guest! I unfortunately don’t remember their name, but this drag queen was the life of the party and Sarah had so much fun dancing with her! With the flash in the background, the fun pose, and the sunglasses, this felt like the perfect opportunity for an all-star moment.

5. Celebrating Special Moments for a Loved One

There are many moments throughout a wedding day where emotions run high. A wedding is about more than just the bride and groom – it’s about looking back on your lives as two families join together. That’s why you need to keep an eye out for everyone’s reaction in the room.

In this photo, the bride is watching an important moment for her new husband with his family. It was truly special, and I loved how happy she was for him while a bridesmaid stayed by her side. Everyone in the room was looking out for each other, and it was beautiful.

6. A Quiet Moment

Many couple’s choose to end their big day with a private last dance. I love this photo because the private last dance feels, well, private. We are on the outside looking in, and a room that was previously full of dancing and laughter is now a quiet refuge. The black and white edit just adds to the simplicity and quietness.

7. When She Comes Down the Aisle

Whether or not they did a first look, the moment the bride walks down the aisle is magical. Everything suddenly becomes real, and all of those happy emotions come to the forefront. That’s why I always make sure to get the groom’s reaction. Danny and Rebecca already did a first look, but tears still welled up at the sight of Rebecca smiling and walking down the aisle with her parents.

8. Your Time in the Spotlight

I personally love to use off-camera flash during first dances. It keeps colors pure and adds a dramatic effect that I think makes every first dance look epic. I love this photo because it has movement, epicness, and smiles on their faces.

9. Just Having Some Fun!

Yet another example of a slow shutter speed! I love this photo because it took a couple of tries, but in the end we got there. At this Fourth of July wedding, Veronica and Ronnie wanted to see what we could do with sparklers and a dream. So they held really still while I put the camera on a tripod and wrote the word “love” out with a sparkler. Things that went wrong: them moving too fast, me moving too slow, me not knowing how to legibly write the word “love” in the air. But we persisted and the end result was worth it!

10. A Rainy Sparker Exit

I may be biased because Priya is one of my best friends (and a future bridesmaid at my wedding!), but I absolutely LOVE this photo. Sparker exits can be hard to photograph because they go incredibly fast and and lighting is a strategy. In this photo I backlit the couple while also having a flash in front of them at about 45 degrees.

I love being able to see the individual rain droplets, as well as the light from the sparkers and the barn. It felt like an amazing end to a truly memorable evening.

While I boiled this post down to 10 photos, there were truly SO many on the list. Do you have a favorite? Let me know!