Keld Helmer-Petersen was born in 1920 and had died in 2013. He was a Danish photographer famous for his coloured photography work, he also created images in purely black & white that are included in his book “Black Noise”. Petersen used a very high contrast to achieve the unusual look. Often, the photos are so highly contrasted that the subject was hard to make out.

Below are some photos from Petersen’s “Black Noise” and “Back To Black”:

The photos are very minimal but are still able to capture the viewer’s attention; overall, they are highly successful in my opinion. The ability to tell what the subjects is differs in each photo; it’s a lot easier to guess what the original photo is of in the last image than the first. They are all pleasing to eye due to their simplistic nature and the lack of chaos creates an almost serene atmosphere.

Experimenting with High Contrast Black & White Photography:

Side By Side Before vs After Image