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5 Essential Photography Tips for Making the Utmost of Black And White Pictures

Author: Jake Turner
by Jake Turner
Posted: Apr 08, 2015

It looks as though in the last couple of years there has been a shift into reverse back to the classics, yet blending the modern technology. This shift is due to the emotional and creative qualities which are not easy indeed for capturing and utilizing colour photography. It is black and white pictures that are absolutely timeless and more than this, this style can help in transcending reality and transforming a photograph into a realm which is not abstraction and at the same time not reality either. In fact such images can help in deconstructing a scene thereby reducing the same to its tones and forms.

5 essential tips

Below are 5 essential photography tips which will help one in making the utmost of their black and white photos. These include,

  • Pattern- the colours in colour photography can distract people’s attention from any patterns in a scene. But by capturing the same in a background that is black and white one can direct the attention of the viewer back into the pattern, thereby making the picture appear more prominent.
  • Shape and form- via removing colour from the scene, one will do away with a potentially distracting component in their photo. It will focus the attention of the viewer on both the forms and shapes within a scene. At the time of composing the shot, one should look beyond the shades in the scene. Instead they should arrange the elements of their scene in a manner which is visually enticing.
  • Texture- whenever one sees a picture, they right away begin in building up a photo of the sight in their mind. The chief way one’s brain can do this is via utilizing the colour information accessible in the photo. But if the shoot is performed in a background that is black and white, such colour information will not be available thus the brain will pay more focus to other elements like the texture. This will enable the texture in appearing more engaging and detailed.
  • Lighting- it is lighting that can affect each of the elements, thus it is essential for a perfect black and white picture. While framing one’s scene, one should consider how lighting can affect the textures, patterns, contrast and shapes in their scene and attempt in selecting a shooting angle which emphasises the most crucial ones. It is side lighting which generally provides excellent results as it can add depth to one’s 3D objects with shadows and highlights and improves the patterns, surface details and textures within the scene.
  • Contrast- Devoid of differences in shades for separating the components in one’s scene, contrast turns more vital, as it will prevent components mixing into one another. Thus if one is photographing any light subject, they should attempt in framing the same on a background that is dark and vice versa. Enhancing the variety of shades and tones in the scene will also work wonders in adding depth.

Black and white photographs often are regarded as timeless and most viewers and photographers tend in thinking of these as more artistic compared to its popular colour counterparts. Images that are black and white possess a surreal and dreamlike quality while appearing cleaner and having greater depth compared to a colour image.

About the Author

monochrome photography and the 6 wonderful photography tips through which one can succeed in their endeavour to master the art of monochromatic photography.

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Author: Jake Turner

Jake Turner

Member since: Apr 01, 2015
Published articles: 3

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