Why I Like to Convert my New York City Photos to Black and White
by Barrett
I grew up in New York City. It’s my forever hometown. Though I haven’t lived there in decades, my life forever orbits around it.
I’m as close as the 7:55am Metro North train into Grand Central Terminal.
Discovering What’s Around the Corner
Many of the photos I’ve taken of the Big Apple over the years are simply the result of my commutes and what I’ve run into on the streets of Manhattan.
And I’ve found that more than a few of my resulting shots look better as black and white versions.
Prometheus Watches Over the Ice (2021)
Why am I drawn to the black and white look? When you think about New York City, what are a few descriptors that come to mind? For me, I would say:
- Classic
- Dramatic
- Timeless
- Gritty
And these are also some of the ways that black and white images present themselves. So, the visual and energy alignment is clear.
Better in Black and White
That’s why I occasionally feel compelled to click on the tiny black and white button when editing my New York City photos on my Mac Studio. (My tool of choice is Adobe Lightroom. It offers a variety of B&W ‘looks.’)
As a result, my selected shots often benefit from their visual conversion into the black and white universe.
Sure, they still look nice in color. I just like them better in black and white. It generates a classic timelessness about them.
Here are more examples.
Atlas Lifts World Cup Awareness (2026)
Scabby the Rat Protests (2026)
Morning Commute at Grand Central Terminal (2025)
East 63rd Street (2022)
48th and 5th Avenue (2021)
Smith & Wollensky (2021)
Bliss (2021)
Outdoor Dining (2016)
Follow Your Flow
I usually don’t go looking for photos to snap on the streets of New York. Certainly not black and white ones. They find me. And I often don’t recognize the opportunity to convert them to black and white till much later… sometimes years later when I review them again.
I’m not sure what that says about me as a photographer, but it does reveal something about my creative process.
We all travel our own road that leads us into inspiration and towards creative execution.You just have to go with the flow and see where it takes you.
New York City Marathon (2008)
