As both a natural reflector and timeless color, white can be a powerful tool in photography. Yet, the color — or rather absence of color — presents challenges. When white is the dominant hue, even minor exposure or white balance errors can become catastrophic. This week, we feature five timeless photographs that master all the challenges of working with white. Find inspiration in these stunning images from Yancy Villatoro, Heather Broomhall, Andrea Gržičić, Karin Sanders, and Nicole Morán. 

Yancy Villatoro, Yancy Villatoro Photography 

Inspired by friend and dance photographer Ashkan Roayaee, Yancy Villatoro of Yancy Villatoro Photography wanted to fuse the graceful movement of dance photography with the elegance of impending motherhood. While using a white backdrop, Villatoro used a Profoto B10 Plus with a strip box and grid to add contrast and dramatic shadows to the photograph. She captured the image with her Nikon D850 and 24-70mm f2.8 lens. 

“I find myself drawn to the elegance of a monochromatic color scheme as my favorite,” Villatoro said. “I embrace a moody and contrast-rich style that resonates deeply with me. Utilizing a white backdrop in my work holds immense appeal due to its remarkable versatility. Through skillful manipulation of light placement, a spectrum of moods and outcomes can be crafted, allowing for a captivating array of possibilities.” 

Heather Broomhall, Heather Broomhall Photography LLC 

When Heather Broomhall of Heather Broomhall Photography LLC read Michelle Obama’s Becoming during the Covid lockdown and saw a portrait of the first lady wearing white on white, she was inspired by the strength and quiet femininity of both the book and photograph. She took that inspiration and mixed it with her own experience living in Italy and a love for Greek and Roman art. 

“I like to think of it as a balance between power and femininity in the 2020s,” she says of the shot. “It tells the story of a working Mother and a beautiful female, just being herself. Ancient Greek and Roman sculptures depicted women with more ‘average’ figures, and that’s why I included it. This bust is a female wearing a golden mask. It was kind of a middle finger to beauty standards and everything women have to endure in today’s world.” 

Because color influences the story an image tells, Broomhall opted for a warmer white Savage seamless paper and edited colors on the warm side. She captured the image using her Canon 5DSR and 24-70mm f2.8 lens. Lighting was a continuous light with an aperture lantern, a white V-Flat, and a bit of window light hitting the backdrop. 

Andrea Gržičić, Andrea Gržičić Photography 

Inspired by the bride’s bouquet and the rims on the white wall, Andrea Gržičić of Andrea Gržičić Photography knew this set-up would help the bride stand-out. The Croatia-based photographer captured the shot using her Nikon Z6 II and Nikkor Z 24mm f1.8 lens. 

“The colors are really crucial for my work,” she said. “There are particular colors that I don’t like, and I try to avoid them as much as possible. But when I see something like this, a big white wall, magic just happens and creativity kicks in. I’ve done lots and lots of different bride, groom and bridal party portraits on this spot.” 

Karin Sanders, Karin Sanders Photography 

Inspired by a new Katharina Hakaj Couture gown for her client closet, Karin Sanders of Karin Sanders Photography envisioned a monochromatic set that would help make the expectant mother stand out. As a portrait photographer specializing in maternity and motherhood, Sanders says she typically uses lots of bright and bold colors. But for this shot, she wanted the classic and clean look that white brings. She took the shot using a Canon 5D Mark III and a Sigma 50mm f1.4, lit with a Paul C. Buff Einstein light and a 65” umbrella with a diffuser on a Cheetah stand. The backdrop is seamless paper from Savage. 

“The advantages of using white color, in my opinion, are that white color is timeless, elegant, classic and clean, works really well with any skin tone and doesn’t compete with your main subject,” she said. “When it comes to challenges when working with white color, I think one has to be especially careful to set a proper exposure in their camera as white color is reflective, and it is very easy to overexpose and lose the details. Also, it’s very important to make sure a proper white balance is used.” 

Nicole Morán, Nicole Morán Photography 

As a wedding photographer, Nicole Morán of Nicole Morán Photography does most of her shoots on location, but she took this image during her second time working in a studio. She channeled her nervousness and excitement into creating a joyful environment and playing with the different creative options available. She captured the image using the Canon R6 and 24-105mm lens, dragging the shutter at 1/30 and f22 to create blur and emotion. 

“To be honest, I usually work most with darker tones, and even while editing, I like brown, green, and shadowed orange. I try to keep the same vibes when I’m taking the pictures — spontaneous and cinematic,” she said. “So for this photoshoot, I had to change and adapt some of my presets and just go with it while editing. It was really interesting the different vibes you get when you have so much light and so much clarity in a picture. I think it gives you peace and calm in some way.” 

Dig into our Photo of the Day archives for even more timeless photos, eye-catching wedding photos and portraits. Submit your wedding, editorial, documentary and other interesting imagery to: [email protected].

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