Black White Photography Tips Tricks
Black and White vs. Colour – by Black White Photography Tips Tricks
For years, black and white photography came a poor second to colour. Perhaps the
main reason for this was that, as the technology of colour progressed and demand
increased, it became cheaper to manufacturer the films and have them processed and
printed. Eventually it was more expensive to process a roll of black and white than
colour, with some labs not even offering the service.
In recent years, however, black and white prints have been
thought of as far more “arty” than colour and there is
now a definite renaissance in the medium. Because black and white is a graphic interpretation
of a scene rather than a straightforward record, the emphasis on texture, tone and
composition is particularly important — even more so than in colour photography.
It is easier to get away with faults when using colour because we perceive the world
that way and our eyes therefore accept the image more readily, Black and white is
alien to our normal way of seeing and technical imperfections are therefore harder
to disguise.
Digital Settings
Some digital cameras allow you to choose between black and white or colour modes
when shooting the picture. Surprisingly, many models, even at the top of the range,
do not have this useful facility. If this is the case then you have to create the
black and white effect with a computer program such as Photoshop. You could do this
by simply choosing the de-saturate mode, but the result will be less impressive
than producing a duotone print. Digital black and white printing gives the photographer
a far wider degree of control than the old wet darkroom and, with the ever-growing
range of “art” printing papers, together with archival inks, the quality of the
finished image can be unrivalled.
Good black and white photography depends heavily on shadow detail and a strong directional
light will depict detail, such as the lines on a person’s face, the bark of a tree
or undulating desert dunes, to great effect. However, if the contrast between the
shadows and highlights is too great, the picture will lack a range of mid-tones.
Texture
Black and white photography is the perfect medium for emphasising texture. This
could take the form of an older person’s skin that has been subjected to the rigours
of an outdoor life. Alternatively, it could be a weathered piece of wood that has
constantly been drenched by the sea and then dried in the sun, or a piece of rusted
metal on which the surface is beginning to flake.
Pictures that have strong texture content can lend themselves to being presented
in an abstract way. This could be by contrasting up the original image, reducing
its tonal range or enlarging just a small part of it so that it loses its natural
form and identity. Another way that highly textured pictures can be used, is to
present them as part of a montage or mosaic. Even the same image, printed one way
and then reverse printed, can build a kaleidoscopic effect, which, when mounted
together, can look stunning.
Aperture
In black and white, the lines and fissures of such subjects will appear dark and
strong; much more so than it they use a strong amount of side lighting, which will
make the shadows long and deep. Image sharpness is also important. If you are going
to use a wide aperture, therefore diminishing your depth of field, you will need
to make sure that the area on which the lens is focused is absolutely pin sharp.
If you are also using a slow shutter speed, your shot might be affected by camera
shake and look blurred. This will ruin the overall effect so if is essential to
keep the camera still by using a tripod or some other means of support.
If you stop down to increase depth of field, it is important to remember that all
lenses have an optimum aperture for ultimate sharpness. This is because diffraction
the bending, or spreading out, of light as it passes through a narrow aperture reduces
the overall image definition and resolving power.
Here at Black White Photography Tips Tricks we hope you’ve enjoyed this article
on black and white photography. Why not try one of our other Photography Tips article.
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