75+ Instagram Captions For Black-and-White Pictures

Instagram serves many purposes today. It's used as a marketplace, community builder, and even a dating site (if you're thirsty enough). But it was initially designed — and is still primarily used — as a photo-sharing app. And just like the history of Instagram can be traced back to photography, the history of photography itself can be traced back to black-and-white (B&W) pictures.

Need Instagram Caption Ideas? Try Our Generator Now!

Captioning B&W pictures can be tricky. If you're having trouble finding inspiration, consider using Instagram caption generators like HIX.AI to get you started in the right direction.

Learn more: Photography captions for Instagram

Learn more: Beauty captions for Instagram

Read also: 100+ Black and White Captions for Instagram Photos

The Historical Significance of Black-and-White Photos

Today, a B&W photo is almost a visual shorthand for "serious" and "artistic". After all, we live in a world of color. Camera technology has moved on from B&W, and most people have embraced the full spectrum of colors with joy. But there was a time when color simply wasn't an alternative to B&W photography.

The first photo ever taken was a B&W photo. It was taken in 1826 by a French scientist named Joseph Nicéphore Niepce. It was a blurry B&W image captured on a bitumen plate titled View from the Window at Le Gras. For the next century, B&W photos would rule the roost. Though processes for color photography were being explored by the end of the 19th century, it wasn't until the 1970s that a commercially and financially viable method would be discovered.

Over the years, the world's most respected photographers have worked in B&W. Ansel Adams, a titan of American photography and one of my personal favorites, captured some of his most striking images of landscapes in B&W. Robert Frank, the celebrated Swiss photographer, and even went so far as to say “Black and white are the colors of photography.”

Add Black-and-White Photos to Your Instagram Feed

When sharing a B&W photo with your Instagram followers, you are also following in the footsteps of celebrated photographers. Adding B&W photos to your Instagram feed provides a stylistic break from the color-saturated sameness that pervades the app. Monochrome images have an unmistakable moodiness about them, which lends itself well to certain subjects. A dead tree, an abandoned boat, or a still life frame are all examples of subjects that photograph very well in B&W.

As you experiment with the B&W medium, you will find your photography skills improving. Composition and lighting, the two building blocks of photography, are laid bare when clicking in B&W. Unlike color photography, there's nowhere to hide when using B&W. The more you shoot, the better you will get. And the best part about posting B&W pictures on Instagram is you can scroll down to older posts and see how far your skills have progressed.

Writing Captions For Black-and-White Pictures on Instagram

If you've been sold on trying your hand at B&W photography, share your art with the world on Instagram! If you stick at it, you'll find fellow photography enthusiasts and a loyal audience. Of course, since it's Instagram, you'll also need a good caption to go with your posts. Captions help convey the mood of the photograph. They also expand your post's reach, allowing more people to discover your content.

When writing captions for B&W pictures on Instagram, here are a few things you should keep in mind:

Introduce Your Subject

There are no rules for what makes a good subject for B&W photography. A monochrome picture can be a portrait, a landscape, an abstract photo, or anything in between. Whatever your subject, your caption should introduce it to your followers. Tell them what you found interesting about it. What made you photograph this subject over other similar ones? The qualities that attract you to your subject will also attract viewers to your photo.

Tell a Story

Instagram is meant for sharing photos, but that doesn't mean words have no place on the platform. A wonderful caption can add many contexts to a picture and convince viewers to follow you for similar content. With B&W photos, you want your caption to tell a story. It doesn't have to be long or supremely well-written, but it should be riveting. B&W photos are inherently dramatic, so why not throw in a little story-telling to go with all the drama?

Don't Be Afraid to Get Technical

Your B&W photos will probably attract photography enthusiasts. If you include the technical details of how you took the photo, you will get them to like and subscribe. Details like shutter speed, aperture settings, and ISO levels are their favorite things to discuss. You might also end up receiving some constructive advice and tips to improve when you do this.

Now that you've got the tools to wow the world with your photographs, start sharing your B&W adventures on Instagram!