“Black and white create a strange dreamscape that color never can”- this line was quoted by Jack Antonoff (an American musician). This actually described the true nature of Black and White photography. Color photography actually can’t create that much appealing impression, which Black and White can.
If you want to utter your inner feelings through photos, then black and white is the best medium for it.
What is Black and White Photography?
Black and white is a part of monochrome photograph. For those who don’t know what a monochrome is, I would say that monochrome is a type of photograph which only reflects limited colors. To make it easier for you to understand, a monochrome only shows tones of a single color in the photograph. As B&W photograph shows tones of black color like gray and white it is said to be a monochrome.
The history behind it!
This type of photography has a long history behind it. The first photography films were Black and White. In those days, all the photos used to be either B&W or Sepia. Color photographs weren’t invented back then. B&W photographs dominated the world.
Taking perfect B&W photograph is easy but it can be made easier and the results will be great, if certain tips can be utilized properly. In this article, we will describe those tips and their proper uses. Then you can also take vintage B&W photographs just like professionals.
The Tips of Black and White Photography
- Choose the Perfect Subject – There are different types of objects to take Photos using B&W filter. But, not all of them will give the best outcome.This is because different colors of the subject will give out a different mixture of black and white color. Too much dark object will give a dark blackish shade; this will almost hide the textures of the object. Therefore, the subject won’t look attractive.So, choose the subject that has bright colors, this way the texture and shape of the object will get highlighted and it will make the image look attractive and eye-catching.
- Shoot in RAW + Jpeg – The RAW mode is perfect and accurate in attaining all the information of the photograph. This information will be very much helpful for further post-processing of the image. Adding this RAW mode with the JPEG format will show exactly how the photo will look after being clicked. This format helps us to edit the photograph afterward WITHOUT SACRIFICING ITS QUALITY.
- Use Filters – Yes, there different types of filters available for black and white photography. These filters come in different colors. The filters are attached to the lens. The filters with different colors give different B&W effects on the subject. Red filter, green filter and blue filter these three filters highlight different colors in monochrome mode. These colors within the scene get highlighted the most than other ones.
- Texture & patterns – The main attraction a B&W photograph shows are the textures and patterns within the subject or the frame. Unique textures and patterns will make the photograph look attractive and striking. So, search for different types of unique and patterns then take the photos by keeping a perfect composition.
- Dodging and Burning – The most famous process of image processing, especially for B&W photography is the dodging and burning process. Here, the darker areas in the images are dodged using Photoshop to make the color get brightened. And the brighter areas that are needed to be dark are burned using Photoshop tools to darken those parts. This process helps to create a better monochromic photograph that actually looks attractive.
- Post-production – Another, effective way for producing unique and attractive B&W photographs is by taking photos without using monochrome mode and then post-processing it later using Photoshop or taking photo editing service. This way you can edit your image and can convert them into eye-catching monochromic photos just the way you want.
- Find gray – Gray is the most highlighted color for monochromic photography. Any object with a gray color makes the subject get highlighted and the textures look perfect and attractive. So, search for gray colored objects and utilize them properly.
Conclusion
Black and white photograph is the best form of photography that shows the emotion of the subject. The people that have dealt with this form, of photography have been able to express the actual emotions of the entire humanity just using a Photograph. To master this form, you will need a great level of experience and imagination power. Follow these black and white photography tips and then just take out the camera and go monochrome!
