Black and white

Black and white (B/W or B&W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of gray. Until the 1950s, most movies were made in black and white. Black and white film was less expensive than color film, and was easier for cinematographers and set designers to work with than the color films of the time. Today, color movies are more popular, but black and white movies are still made occasionally.

The Tetons and the Snake River, black and white photograph by Ansel Adams

Black and white film for 35mm still cameras

The earliest still photographs were also in black and white. Black and white still picture film was, and still is, less expensive than color film, and the chemicals to develop it are also cheaper, so it remained popular long after color film was introduced. About 15% of current film sales are black and white film. Major brands of black and white film include Ilford Photo / Kentmere, Kodak Tri-X and TMax, Agfa Photo, Fomapan, Arista, and Rollei.

The earliest television broadcasts were transmitted in black and white, and received and displayed by black and white only television sets. Scottish inventor John Logie Baird demonstrated the world's first color television transmission on July 3, 1928. A color television can receive a black and white broadcast, although few (if any) TV stations still broadcast in black and white.