Editing Black and White photos: five common mistakes to avoid

We've published dozens of guides to capturing and editing black and white photos over the years, but what we like about this new video from Jeff Ascough and Sarah G Ascough is it takes an objective look at why many black and white conversions don't quite work, even if the bones of the image are good. 

One of the mistakes is probably one we're all guilty of - assuming that black and white can save an otherwise uninspiring photo. 

One key step highlighted in the video and often overlooked is properly exposing and balancing your colour image—particularly paying attention to exposure and white balance—before converting to black and white.

This gives you a stronger base to work from and makes the monochrome conversion feel more natural. As the Ascough's explain, if you skip this step, and you’ll likely struggle with contrast and tonal balance later on.

Ascough also points out another common issue: over-relying on presets. While they can be a tempting shortcut, their one-size-fits-all approach often fall short for black and white photography and images where lighting and composition vary widely.

Instead, Ascough suggests using Lightroom’s built-in monochrome profiles, like Adobe Monochrome, for more consistent, adaptable results.

Another valuable takeaway from the video is the method of setting white and black points manually using sliders, then fine-tuning contrast with an S-curve. This approach offers far more control and consistency than simply relying on Lightroom’s Contrast slider, which often lacks the subtlety needed for effective black and white edits.

The other tool to use with care is Clarity - which can damage the authenticity of your image if used heavily.

Cover image: Mike O'Connor