Steve “Sweatpants” Irby (@stevesweatpants) isn’t just a Sony Brand Ambassador and the co-founder and director of Street Dreams Magazine…he’s also a photographer who is obsessed with black and white photos. “Black and white photography, for me, it’s like time traveling,” he says. “There’s a sense of nostalgia that you can instantly capture when you edit or take photos in black and white. There’s an endless source of inspiration from not only black and white photos themselves, but being able to take them. In a world that’s so busy and there’s so much chaos, black and white photos are so simple that you are allowed to be as complex as you want to but at the same time you could focus on the subject.” Watch the video below as Irby shares his camera setup and top tips for creating compelling black and white images that resonate.

Co-founder and director of Street Dreams Magazine Steve Irby shares his camera setup and top tips for creating dynamic black and white images that resonate.

Camera Setup: Embrace The Darkness

Irby has shared his gear with us before, with his main combination being the Sony Alpha 7R III and Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master. He says that the way he sets up his camera is pretty simple. He tries to shoot his photos a little bit darker, but tries to embrace the darkness as much as he can so he can bring it back during the edit. “For me, embracing the darkness is not as ominous as it sounds, but it’s more or less just being able to adapt and being able to compromise in order to create an image that is still bringing enough light to the situation.”

He continues, “So being able to show really dark images and shadows and deep highlights, you still can bring out these really pleasant and bright moments. And people resonate with it a bit more because you found that moment out of it.”

Tip #1 - Do The Research

Irby has several tips for those interested in black and white photography, and the first one is to just do the research. “There are a bunch of incredible black and white photographers who have just existed in the world for so long that they’re just at your disposal to really do the research and comb through it. The internet is there so I won’t spoil all the fun on that part.

Tip #2 – Understand Your Colors

The more you dive into black and white, the more you understand how different colors affect the images. “I usually have my camera set up in color,” Irby explains. “I still think it’s important to play in both worlds. The more that you do shoot black and white you start to understand your color theory a little bit better.”

Tip #3 – Experiment With Your Photos

Irby’s third most important tip is to not take yourself too seriously and to embrace all that you can do with black and white photography. “It can feel like this daunting thing and like you’re not making any headway,” he explains, “but it’s supposed to be this simple, but deep and complex look at documentation. So as much as you embrace that, if you have your trials and tribulations and understanding your color theory, and just doing a little bit of research on other black and white photographer and just photos in general, you can start to create and really resonate with your own black and white images immediately actually, because it’s one of the best things in the world in the first place.”

See more of Steve Irby’s work on Instagram @stevesweatpants and at stevesweatpants.com.