Recently we received two images that were rendered in Black and White and I think they are the first of our 16,441 photographs to do so. Docshaf submitted this of a Black and White Warbler.
Then one of our new members, WildZ, shared a Black and White photograph of two Great Horned Owls.
I really liked the feel of these two pictures so I decided that our next bird photography contest would be “Birds in Black and White”. The winner of the contest will receive $100!
Just to be clear I do not mean pictures of birds whose plumage is black and white – this contest is for images that are rendered in black and white. Since I don’t know much about Black and White photography I did some quick research and found that it is used to:
- Eliminate Color Distractions
- Emphasize Light and Shadow
- Highlight Texture and Form
- Create a Timeless Feel
I found an informative article titled, “The Power of Black and White Photography” by the Rocky Mountain College of Art if you would like to learn more. I do know that you can transform any photograph into Black and White in Lightroom’s Develop Module by clicking the B&W button at the top of the Basic Panel.
Please read the rules below carefully as some are different from past contests:
The author of the best photograph using the theme “Birds in Black and White” will win $100!
- Every entry must be rendered in Black and White.
- Every entry must have the phrase Birds in Black and White or Birds in B&W in the title so I know it’s in the contest.
- All entries must be submitted by 8 PM Central time on Sunday, November 1, 2026. The winner will be announced the week of November 9th.
- Add a couple of sentences in the Description about how you got the shot.
- You may enter up to 10 pictures* however photographs previously posted on GreatBirdPics.com are not eligible.
- The contest will be judged by Xwinger and I. We will pay particular attention to the four bullet points about Black and White photography in the introduction**.
- Participants are limited to members of GreatBirdPics.com.
- You may want to review the article Great Bird Pics Contest Tips.
- You can review past contest winners and Honorable Mentions at GBP Bird Photograph Contest Winners
Please send any questions to me at greatbirdpics@gmail.com, reply the email sent to members, or make a comment at the bottom of the post.
Good luck!
*Previous contests had no limit for the number of entries. I decided to limit this contest to 10 because it would be easy for someone to transform a lot of their images into Black and White and submit them. I’m hoping the limit will encourage authors to carefully consider which of their Great Bird Pics would actually look better in Black and White.
** Eliminates Color Distractions, Emphasizes Light and Shadow, Highlights Texture and Form, and Creates a Timeless Feel.