Make Your Own Reality: Beyond Black and White Street Photography

There’s nothing wrong with black and white street photography. I love it. When color falls flat, when the light sucks, and the world looks like oatmeal, black and white can pull a shot out of the trash. It simplifies. It sharpens. It saves.

But let’s not kid ourselves. Cranking up contrast, blurring motion, and tilting the frame doesn’t make it fresh. That’s not new. That’s a rerun. We’re not trailblazers. We’re tourists on a road the greats paved long before we were born.

Black and white is tradition. Beautiful, sure. But it’s also safe. And the Internet is drowning in it. Everyone with a camera and a preset thinks they’re channeling Cartier-Bresson. The result? A flood of forgettable images. Imitations. Most of them lifeless. Some flat-out trash.

And yet, a few stand out. Not because of the gear or the city they shoot in, but because their voice is in every frame. You can feel it. Their images are unmistakably theirs. That’s what sets them apart. Not the contrast. Not the shadows. Them.

But the rest of us? Too many are just parroting. Imitating. Hiding behind a style that’s easy to copy and hard to make your own. It becomes a habit. A rut. A slow creative death.

That’s the real problem. Not the medium. Not the gear. It’s the absence of authorship behind the shutter.

An Entire Camera Industry Built on a Copycat Aesthetic

Granted, it’s a small cottage industry, but it exists. And it’s dominated by Leica and Fujifilm, with Ricoh sniffing around the edges.

Most of the loudest voices pushing this style shoot with those brands. That’s not a coincidence. You’ve noticed, right?

I’m not here to bash the gear or the people who swear by it. Hell, I’ve been there. But let me say this. That aesthetic trend has warped the creative minds of a lot of photographers. I was one of them.

Here’s the issue. Fewer and fewer people are actually pushing street photography forward. Instead, we’re chasing a trendy look with pre-approved gear and hoping to earn clout by doing the same damn thing.

The will to experiment fades.

What about different gear? What about color? What about sepia? What about actual creative post work?

And that’s just scratching the surface. Once you realize you’ve been pulled into the black and white gravity well and want out, the question is, what comes next?

Find Your Photographic Voice

Easier said than done. The Internet is clogged with advice on how to do it. Most of it is fluff. And if you’re looking for shortcuts, forget it. There aren’t any. This is a long game, and it should be. Whether you're in it for yourself or making it part of your business, street photography needs time.

But here's the truth. Most of us aren't experimenting enough. We're not taking risks. We're not pushing our work into unfamiliar territory. We find a look we like, something polished and familiar, and then we cling to it.

That is not a voice. That is repetition.

There is more to this than how an image looks. Voice comes through in the subject, the timing, the pacing, the intention. The stuff no one teaches because it doesn't sell gear or social media presets.

That silence is not an accident.

Camera companies push conformity. So do the influencers, the workshop hosts, and the review sites trying to sell you their idea of greatness.

Add in the pressure to be seen as talented, and suddenly you're creating work that pleases everyone but says nothing personal.

Even the editing tools come bundled with someone else's vision. Presets, LUTs, techniques and workflows dressed up as wisdom.

All of this pulls us away from anything real if we let it.

And what is it with black and white being the only form that feels respected? Why are we chasing legitimacy by spending thousands on the same cameras, the same lenses, the same editing tools, just to fall in line?

The trend is seductive. It is everywhere. We may love it. We may even believe it is our style.

But stop and look harder.

Are we creating anything that actually moves the needle?

Do people see us in the work?

Or just another camera brand, a look, and someone else’s definition of what street photography is supposed to be?

What Does Our Next Move Look Like?

I write about niche things. My blog is full of articles on street photography, fine art, critiques, some gear talk, and the occasional software tutorial. Some of it connects directly to street photography, some of it drifts. But one thing is constant. I love street photography. I love black and white street photography. That passion has lived with me for over ten years, and I plan to carry it to the end.

Like maybe a few of you reading this, I want to believe my work has its own identity. I want to contribute something personal to this genre. I want to be seen in the frame. And if you feel stuck or like you are spinning your wheels in a sea of sameness, then here are a few things to think about. None of this is filler. None of it is a shortcut. They are simply places to begin if you are serious about digging yourself out of the trap.

Go back through your own images. Find the ones that still hold weight. Look at what makes them work. Look at what they have in common. What draws you in? What stays with you after the fact? Figure that out and start shooting with that in mind.

Don’t let the lack of new gear throw you off. Pick one lens and hit the streets. Forget the idea that variety makes the work better. It does not. Most of the time, it just makes you indecisive. And while you are out there, stop converting everything to black and white. Try something else. Make a decision that is not pre-approved.

If your usual subject is people, then stop. Photograph objects. Shoot light. Frame scenes that are empty. If you avoid people, flip it and learn to shoot them candidly. Get uncomfortable. Force your brain to stop running the same playbook.

Change your approach too. If you are always chasing, learn to wait. Pick a spot. Compose a scene. Let life enter it. If you are always waiting, get up and move. Stop repeating the same rhythm and calling it a method.

Study artists outside of photography. You already know the big names behind the lens. Find three painters whose work hits you in the gut and ask yourself why. I look at Egon Schiele. His figures, his gestures, the way he exaggerates movement, all of that sticks with me. I look for those same qualities in the street. I look for posture and gesture that say something.

If your photos feel lifeless, try intentional camera movement. Add motion. Add blur. Do something that forces you to let go of control. Sometimes the results are junk. Sometimes they hit in a way sharp images never could. Either way, it is worth trying.

None of this is a cure. These are just ideas. And really, what I am asking is simple. Are we drawn to high contrast black and white because it connects with something honest, or because we have been told this is what real street photography looks like?

Is this our decision, or are we just caught in the current? Have we been led into an aesthetic trap that only ends with more of the same?

Maybe there is something else out there. Something that belongs to us. Something that looks nothing like the work we thought we were supposed to make.

If reading this has made you question the path you are on, then I have done what I came here to do.

The rest is on you.