Black+White Photography

The Sacred and Mundane

In our latest issue, award-winning photojournalist Kieran Doherty discusses the joy of shooting the papal conclave as an everyman, rather than on commission.
Image: ©Kieran Doherty

Last year, former Reuters photographer Kieran Doherty travelled to Rome to experience the papal conclave as a regular tourist. The resulting photographs, taken on expired film outside the Vatican, capture the sense of anticipation as the crowds wait for something to happen.

© Kieran Doherty

In B+W 315, Kieran chats to Gordon Cairns about the nuances of mono and the joy of making deeply personal work.

‘There was no question of me going to the Vatican and shooting on digital,’ he says. ‘I had time, I wasn’t under any pressing deadlines, and there was just the sheer enjoyment of shooting on black & white. It changes the way I look at what it is I’m shooting; the nuances of black & white give me the images I want to create.’

© Kieran Doherty

See Kieran’s Conclave project at kierandoherty.com and order your copy of B+W 315 here.

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