The Mono Awards 2026: What it takes to win (part one)

Black and white photography can feel deceptively simple. Strip away colour and what remains should, in theory, be easier to read. But ask anyone who has entered the Mono Awards and they’ll tell you the opposite is often true.

Year after year, the Mono Awards showcase images that prove black and white remains one of photography’s most expressive mediums.

From dramatic wildlife portraits to quiet human moments and graphic landscapes, the winning images each year all feel different – but a closer look shows they tend to share a few common qualities.

So, we looked back at advice from past judges and contributors to ask a simple question: what does it really take to create a black and white image worthy of the podium?

Learn to see in tone, not colour

One of the biggest shifts in monochrome photography happens before you press the shutter. You have to start seeing scenes differently.

Instead of noticing vibrant colours, try to look for tonal contrast: where the highlights sit, where shadows fall, how midtones separate subjects from background, and how shape and texture become the visual language of the image.

Photographer and judge Helen Whittle is an expert at this. Her advice is to train yourself to understand how colours translate once converted to grayscale. A green hillside and a red dress might look dramatically different in colour, but in monochrome they can become almost identical in tone. Knowing that before you shoot can completely change how you compose.

That awareness matters because tonal contrast is often what guides the viewer through a black-and-white frame.

As our judge Matt Palmer believes, the eye is naturally drawn to the brightest areas or to the point of strongest contrast.

The most compelling monochrome photographs often use that deliberately, creating a clear visual hierarchy and inviting the viewer to move through the image with intention.

Story matters – sometimes more than technical perfection

Technical polish matters in the Mono Awards. But it rarely wins on its own.

Longtime Mono Awards judge Anthony McKee points to a common judging pattern: technically clean images with a single obvious subject can still feel flat if there’s nothing more to discover.

A compelling monochrome image often rewards a second look. There may be a subplot in the background, an unexpected gesture, or a relationship between elements in the frame that builds tension or curiosity. It doesn’t need to be complicated, but if done well it will give viewers a reason to linger.

In many ways, the strongest images often feel like a single frame pulled from a larger story.

Be bold with contrast

When you don't have the crutch of colour to rely on, black and white photography rewards confidence.

Past judge Douwe Dijkstra encourages photographers not to shy away from deep blacks or bright whites. Rich shadows can create drama and mystery; bold highlights can isolate a subject and make an image feel graphic and immediate.

Negative space can be equally powerful. A subject surrounded by darkness or open sky can feel more striking than a frame packed with detail.

Our former judge Chris Reid makes a similar point: don’t feel obligated to preserve every piece of information. In monochrome, less can often be more. Removing distracting detail can strengthen the centre of focus and create a cleaner, more memorable image.

The key is to be intentional with what you capture and how you edit it...

Even in an era of easy editing, it still pays to get the capture right in camera

On the topic of editing, post-production remains an important part of monochrome work, but our judges repeatedly come back to the same advice: the strongest files begin with strong captures.

Light still matters more than software. Directional light can bring out texture. Backlighting can create silhouette and shape. Side light can reveal dimension in portraiture or landscapes. Harsh conditions that might feel challenging in colour can become powerful in black and white.

Our judge Jackie Ranken recommends checking the black and white points before finalising an image, while William Long, a longterm judge in the competition suggests photographers go beyond one-click monochrome presets and experiment with their own conversions.

The advantage of this is a custom black-and-white treatment lets you fine-tune tonal separation and build a look that supports the image, rather than relying on a generic preset.

At the same time, editing can take you close to a great image - but you always need good bones.

We'll share part two next week. The Mono Awards 2026 are open for entries now - enter here.