Last Updated on 05/05/2019 by Mark Beckenbach
All photos by Damien Guiot. Used with Creative Commons permission.
If you think landscape photography and a black and white aesthetic don’t mix, you probably haven’t seen enough stunning examples. You can always acquaint yourself with the timeless masterpieces of iconic landscape photographer Ansel Adams first. But if you’re looking for something more contemporary, you might want to check out this Norway mountain series by Damien Guiot. In this set, the French photographer takes us to the majestic peaks of Norway’s Lofoten archipelago. As with much of the black and white landscape photography we’ve featured in the past, the series showcases a play on light and shadows, and highlights the shapes and textures amplified by the crisp contrast. By stripping a landscape scene of its colors, this black and white approach instead draws our eyes to the varying elements of composition.
The grandeur of the Lofoten mountains are in no way played down by the absence of color hues. Instead, we are encouraged to see them in a different light and pay closer attention to the details that make each snow-capped slope and jagged peak eye-catching. As Guiot himself also noted, each snap shows the Norwegian mountains highlighted by the moody lighting of the scene, heightened by punchy monochrome.
Another striking detail is how the darkened sky allowed the clouds and mist over the mountains to stand out more. Sure, shooting in color with an ND filter would do the same thing, but it’s easy to see why the black and white route with a red filter creates a more dramatic effect.
If you want to study more examples of stunning landscapes in black and white, we suggest also checking out the works of Tryce Hoffman, Arnaud Bathiard, and Przemyslaw Kruk.
Visit Damien Guiot’s website and Behance portfolio to see more of his stunning landscape photography.
