   black-and-white, often abbreviated b/w or b&w, is any of several monochrome forms in visual arts. black-and-white images are not usually starkly contrasted black and white. they combine black and white in a continuum producing a range of shades of gray. further, many prints, especially those produced earlier in the development of photography, were in sepia (mainly for archival stability), which yielded richer, subtler shading than reproductions in plain black-and-white. color photography provides a much greater range of shade, but part of the appeal of black and white photography is its more subdued monochromatic character. == media == some popular black-and-white media of the past include: *movies and animated cartoons. while some color film processes (including hand coloring) were experimented with and in limited use from the earliest days of the motion picture, the switch from most films being in black-and-white to most being in color was gradual, taking place from the 1930s to the 1960s. even when most studios had the capability to make color films they were not heavily utilized as tinting techniques and the technicolor process were expensive and difficult. for years color films were not capable of rendering realistic hues, thus mostly historical films or musicals were made in color and many directors preferred to use black-and-white stock. for the years 1940â1966 a separate academy award for best art direction was given for black-and-white movies along with one for color. thumb|black and white photography of frankfurt central station *photography was black-and-white or shades of sepia. color photography was originally rare and expensive and again often less than true to life. color photography became more common in the middle of the 20th century and has become even more common since. nowadays black-and-white has turned into a niche market for photographers who use the medium for artistic purposes. this can take the form of black-and-white film or digital conversion to grayscale, with optional digital image editing manipulation to enhance the results. for amateur use certain companies such as kodak manufactured black-and-white disposable cameras until 2009. also, certain films are produced today which give black-and-white images using the ubiquitous c41 color process. *television programming was first broadcast in black-and-white. some color broadcasts in the usa began in the 1950s, with color becoming common in western industrialized nations during the late 1960s and then standard in the 1970s. in the [[united stat
Black-and-white_media History_of_television Photographic_processes Television_technology Television_terminology