Things You Must Know About Black and White Photography

While digital media has changed the way we use cameras, the true art of photography is still in black and white photography. This form of photography has been around for ages. What a layman would call an older form of photography, professionals see it as a skillset only experts tend to have.

The Key to Greatness

If photography is your thing, then black and white photography is your way to becoming the elite of the industry.

There is a lot that is involved in taking a picture. From the colors that accent the subject to the lighting that complements it, a lot needs to be considered. While you are playing with a black and white image, the liberty of gaining assistance from those vivid colors is not at your disposal. Experts tend to have these insights embedded in their eyes and minds. This makes it easier for them to construct a colorless picture that makes a statement. In order to help you better comprehend the aspects that make a black and white image look great, the following are some ingredients you should focus on.

Contrast: Among the key aspects of a black and white picture is contrast. To enjoy a perfect contrast, your subject is supposed to have a lighter tone than the background. This pulls the focus of a person towards the object. Think of it as the subject being in the spotlight.

Background: Backgrounds are based on perspective. The background of a subject is important and can assist in attaining better focus. On the other hand, the background of the image may work as a distraction. Cutting it out will help focus better on the subject. Think of a deer in a forest where you can see mountains in the back. The green forest can help put the focus on the subject—the deer—while the mountains are a mere addition that put the deer out of focus in black and white.

Diagonal Lines: Another thing that pulls attention towards a subject in a black and white image is the use of diagonal lines. The outline of the subject or subjects in the picture should be diagonal in a 2D image.

The Eye

If there was to be one thing that you need to excel at the art of black and white photography, it is to have an eye to see in monochrome. This is not as simple to attain as it probably sounds. This is a sense you develop as you dive deep into the industry and gain some experience in the field. Once you are there, you would come to realize that not all sceneries are meant to be captured without color.

There are only a handful of sights that have the potential to make it into truly artistic black and whites. It is relatively easier to accomplish indoors as the photographer has the control over surroundings.

Shooting RAW

Every black and white photographer has taken RAW images and made something great out of it. A RAW picture means that there is absolutely no processing involved in the picture. For instance, if you use a 16 MP camera, a RAW picture captured by it would be 16 MP.

The benefit it offers is that you get to process the image manually, and while you do so, you have a lot at your disposal to play with. From a range of lights to the minutest of details, you can choose what you want to keep and cut out what you think is hindering in the quality of the image. Not every camera has the option of RAW imaging, though.

Black and White Wonder

Have you ever wondered the point of black and white pictures to be taken in the first place? Why remove colors from that poetic scenery? Why subtract colors from life?

Well, for starters, black and white images are the essence of what photography actually is. It is part of a rich history. What sets it apart is the fact that black and white photography is the epitome of this piece of art. To excel it, you need to spend quite a bit of time with the camera.  

No Distractions

In addition, there are many reasons that make this type of photography elite. One of the reasons is that it eliminates all the distractions and help you focus on the actual subject. With color photography, you have a lot of noise in the picture. Everything that sparkles takes your focus off the core object. Think of it this way: when you capture an image, you try to make a perfect blend of the object of your focus and the background. This is what a photographer wants to portray. Adding color doesn’t do much favor to that relationship. It is just there!

From Negative To Positive

One of the greatest reasons why black and white photography is better is that you have the freedom and ability to turn a negative space into positive. You can blend the negative aspect of a picture with the positives in a way that they complement each other. This can add more depth to your black and white picture making it look even more phenomenal.

The ISO Game

ISO is quite commonly used in regular colored photography. While it sure adds noise to those images, the difference in noise is minimal. On the other hand, using ISO in black and white photography is something that creates a major shift in the image. The more ISO there is in a black and white picture, the grainier it would be, and the observable difference will be playing with ISO will be much greater. In other words, playing with ISO in a black and white picture offers greater control over your product.

Black and white photography offers a more professional touch to your pictures. To make sure you get the most out of your shoot, it is best to hire Dino Mosley Photography. We are among the top professionals in the industry. To acquire our services or to make an appointment, simply dial 323-332-1197 and get in touch with us.