Creating Dramatic Black and White Photos with a Canon R5 and a Nanlite Spotlight in Monochrome Mode
Blog by Jada Parrish | Jada's Camera Challenge | 04/14/25
I am obsessed with color, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love a strong black and white photo. So, I wanted to challenge myself to create some moody black and white images.
Why would you do that?
Color can be so distracting. For this shoot, I switched my camera to black and white mode so I could see only monochrome images as I shot. This helped me focus on contrast within the images and allowed me to ignore parts of the scene that might have looked blown out or unflattering in color. Black and white is so much more forgiving.
Since I was shooting in RAW—yes, the Canon R5 still captured all the color data even with the monochrome picture style enabled—I could still see the color versions later. But as I was shooting, I only saw the images in black and white, which helped me stay in that mindset.
When you import the RAW file into editing software like Lightroom or Capture One, you’ll see the color version and can decide whether to keep it in black and white or edit it in color. However, if you’re shooting in JPEG, the camera applies the Monochrome setting permanently, meaning the photos will be saved in black and white with no way to recover the color later.
How to shoot in black and white on the Canon R5:
On the Canon R5, you can shoot in black and white through the Picture Style menu. The setting you’re looking for is called Monochrome.
To enable it:
Go to the Menu → Navigate to the Shooting (red camera) tab.
Select Picture Style.
Scroll down and choose Monochrome.
The Shoot
I wanted these photos to feel super moody and high-contrast, really showing the power of black and white photography. So, I photographed my friend Ali—who is an insanely talented musician known as Deau Eyes (check out her music here).
We shot in her living room at 5 PM, so the lighting was already low. David lit her with a Nanlite FC-120C and a projection attachment (PJ-FMM19) that he softened the focus on—so instead of a harsh circle around her, she was gently highlighted. This made Ali stand out while the space around her faded into shadow.
I used an 85mm lens to create more intimate portraits and really set the mood. David adjusted the spotlight as we moved through different spots in her living room, perfectly shaping the light around her. Shooting in black and white helped me focus purely on contrast, stripping away any distractions.
The black and white images really created a distinct mood for the shoot. Shooting in monochrome mode is a really amazing tool for creating strong black and white images, and I found it to be a really powerful creative exercise that I recommend all photographers try.
But of course… since I shot these in RAW, when I imported them, I saw the color versions too—so I ended up editing those as well. Whoops! Click here to check out the color images.
Which do you prefer—color or black and white?
