The Art of Black & White By David Schulz

Black-and-white imagery is often associated with weddings, untamed outdoor landscapes, and other formal or more natural subjects.

Pensacola photographer, David Schulz, has lately found himself more focused on rivets, ailerons, and gauges than oak boughs and manicured nuptial aisles. Though no stranger to these more traditional subjects, the seasoned photographer searched for something new after years behind the camera – the contrast of metal on metal and, if lucky, finally discovering the perfect texture.

Schulz has come a long way in his photography career. Before pivoting to airplanes and autos, he was doing a good deal of what one might expect: landscapes, weddings, and other formal events. He was looking to get into something quite different.

During a day trip to a NAS Pensacola static air show, Schulz’s artistic vision was transformed “I was mesmerized by a rear-angle shot of this F-18 of just the exhausts,” Schulz recalled, saying how the contrast of metals formed consistencies and shades in his final photographs that he fell in love with.

“There’s special magic in how black-and-white photography adds unique shadows and contour lines,” he said of the completed shots. “The contrasts I was getting were unreal and really got me thinking.” Schulz says he considers texture a lot when shooting. Recognizing the possibilities, it made sense to take his photography into the realm of airplanes and automobiles.

“With aircraft and older cars with a broader blend of materials, there’s a lot of negative and positive spaces to work with. I guess it’s the graphic designer in me, but it got me considering all the other types of surfaces and materials I could compose shots with, and the fascination only grew from there.”

Schulz said family history and career choices were another catalyst for his fascination. “My dad was a pilot and amateur photographer, and there were typically numerous cameras around growing up, so the seed was always there,” he said. He also credits a photography class at UWF with his favorite professor, Dr. Silhan, as particularly rewarding. Still, when it was time to graduate in 1988, he did so with a degree in graphic design, not photography. “I knew I wouldn’t do it full time,” he confessed, “but being on a shoot is therapeutic, and I wanted to maintain the skill, so I kept shooting any free chance I got.”

It wasn’t until around 2018, however, he truly got serious with help from Pensacola’s Wide Angle Photo Club. “It was huge having a monthly gathering of like-minded artists to keep me going,” he said. Schulz spoke highly of the group’s openness to newcomers, networking opportunities, and honest critique groups as great tools for new or aspiring photographers.

“I learned how to put on a proper show, and, more importantly, how to navigate the art world,” he noted with one such connection leading him to Blue Morning Gallery, an association he has been president of since January 2024.

David states his faith plays a big part in his personal and professional life. “I’ve served in five countries in the mission field, and it’s inspired a deep desire to learn about different cultures and people,” the photographer explained, saying how it has become arguably a bigger passion than photography. “As with all of my work, I aim to share those moments and experiences in my photos, invariably captured to the best of my abilities.”