These black-and-white portraits of Batman and Superman, taken by Zack Snyder on a monochrome camera, are causing a stir online

One of Hollywood's most striking visualists, Zack Snyder, hasn't even been on Instagram for a month, yet his presence on the platform is already making waves (and ruffling feathers) online.

The director, best known for films like 300 and Watchmen as well as DCEU tentpoles like Batman v Superman, only joined the social media outlet at the end of September. However, like his movies, his photographs are already making headlines.

This is, after all, the man who shot a zombie flick (Army of the Dead) using Canon's EF 50mm f/0.95 "Dream Lens", before releasing a superhero movie (Zack Snyder's Justice League: Justice is Grey) in black-and-white with a 4:3 aspect ratio. He has a vision – and nowhere is this clearer than the photography he has been sharing.

After averaging around 5,000 likes for most of his posts, Snyder pulled out the big guns with an evocative black-and-white photograph of Henry Cavill as Superman this week. Shot on his Leica M10 Monochrom with a 50mm Noctilux, the image racked up almost half a million likes.

It was, however, the caption that perhaps got the most attention: "Henry Cavill is Superman."

The comment, which may or may not have been intended innocuously, came in the wake of the divisive new Superman film directed by James Gunn – the director who replaced Snyder as the architect of DC Comics' cinematic universe, and who replaced Cavill with David Corenswet in the titular role.

Less controversial was Snyder's most recent post, of Ben Affleck as Knightmare Batman taken during the production of the Justice League movie (before he was ousted by the studio in favor of Joss Whedon).

"One of my favorite Batman photos," reads the caption. "I took it with my Leica Monochrom. We built that little set especially for these portraits." Another image from this set, of Joe Manganiello as Bat-villain Deathstroke, was posted a few days prior.

Comic book characters are a recurring feature of Snyder's account, having previously posted a photograph of Rorschach on the set of Watchmen – this time taken on a 4x5 Polaroid. Set photos are also a familiar fixture, such as a photo of Emily Jane Browning from Sucker Punch also taken on his Polaroid Land camera.

It's not all superheroes and celebrities, though. Snyder has shared a number of more esoteric images taken on his Leica, including haunting images of wild horses and sheep.

It has also been an outlet for his "Dream Lens" fetish, with some captivating portraits taken on the legendary Canon f/0.95 lens that perfectly illustrate the ethereal, dreamlike rendering from which it takes its name.

There are also plenty of images, both behind-the-scenes and movie stills, from his current production, The Last Photograph – a passion project about a former DEA agent searching South America for his missing niece and nephew with the aid of a junkie war photographer.

If you're a fan of Snyder's striking visuals – or you just want to see some cool black-and-white photography and ridiculously dreamy bokeh – check out his Instagram.

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