Darker, stronger, more solid, simpler, and deeper black monochromes:
1. Go digital monochrome
![Sweat. Downtown LA, 2016](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/eric-kim-street-photography-the-city-of-angels-black-and-white-5-nails-sweat-downtown-la.jpg?resize=1200%2C807&ssl=1)
What’s the best for black and white?
First thought:
RICOH GR III in high contrast black and white JPEG mode is superior to even Kodak Tri-X 400 film pushed to 1600 with yellow filter.
Why? RICOH GR III has the deepest and most sublime blacks, JPEG, straight out of camera!
![Downtown LA, 2015 (shot on a Ricoh GR with the fixed-focal 28mm lens)](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/eric-kim-street-photography-shadow-pinnochio-2015-downtown-la-the-city-of-angels.jpg?resize=1200%2C795&ssl=1)
Thus it seems if your goal is to advance your monochrome photography, digital black and white photography is a better approach than compared to black and white film photography.
![Amsterdam girl with doll— reminds me of pieta. Amsterdam, 2015 #ricohgrii](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/amsterdam-eric-kim-street-photography-girl-with-doll-window-ricoh-gr-ii.jpg?resize=1200%2C795&ssl=1)
![William Klein and man at FOAM exhibition in Amsterdam, 2015.](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/eric-kim-street-photography-william-klein-amsterdam.jpg?resize=1200%2C795&ssl=1)
2. Flash
![Dark Skies over Tokyo // RICOH GR II x FLASH](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/dark-skies-over-tokyo-eric-kim1-1325x2000.jpg?resize=1200%2C1811&ssl=1)
To reach a deeper level of contrast, start shooting with flash. If you don’t use a flash, you cannot go deeper.
![Film Leica MP, f/8, flash at 1/8th power, 1.2 meters](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/eric-kim-photography-black-and-white-tri-x-1600-leica-mp-35mm-film-0940.jpg?resize=1024%2C1545&ssl=1)
![Mumbai woman cop, whisper. Leica M9, flash, 35mm, 1.2 meters.](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/ERIC-KIM-NIGHT-PHOTOGRAPHY00032-2000x1331.jpg?resize=1200%2C799&ssl=1)
With flash, you gain a deeper foothold and control over reality.