Black And White Photography: 12 Secrets to Master The Art of Black And White Photography

Black and white photography is considered by some to be more difficult than color photography, simply because color ceases to be an element in the finished product. However, it is still an element to be considered while shooting, because color affects what greys, whites, and blacks you get as a result. Black and white can make your photos much more simple, pared down to the basics. This can make photographs appear more serious or scary, or even take away considerations of decade or century. Photographs also need different development in post, as well as different considerations for grain.

Here Is A Preview of What You'll Learn In This Book...

• Deciding whether or not to shoot in black and white: there is no right or wrong answer; it's all subjective. I give some of my own personal reasons for choosing black and white over color. They can be for aesthetic consideration, or to make an image less distracting.
• Tonal differences and contrast: I explain why color is still important, because the color content of a scene will affect your tonal ranges. Contrast is also important because it affects the lights and darks, blacks and whites in a scene and also changes the emotional impact of an image.
• Being technically competent: This tip explains the usage of different ISOs and how black and white grain differs from color grain. It also explains why you want to learn to take a technically correct photo before you begin to experiment with ISO and exposure.
• Pay attention to the light: Light is very important in any photo, but here, it can help change the mood of a black and white photo very quickly. I also talk about how the way in which you develop a photo, in conjunction with the light conditions, changes perception.
• Texture: Texture becomes even more important in black and white photos than it does in color, because you have one less element to work with. Experiment with texture or lack thereof in your photos.
• Composition: Refer to this tip for a short refresher on the elements of composition, and how you can use them to make your photos stronger. Remember that composition always matters, but that it can matter even more so with black and white.
• Headshots: This tip explains the pros and cons of shooting headshots in black and white, as well as things to consider when doing so.
• Post Processing: Learn how to control your color channels and contrast in reference to black and white photos. Learn how it correlates to the old darkroom methods, and what filters do.
• Creating almost black and white photos: Have you ever seen those photos that, on first glance, appear to be black and white but actually are color? Learn how to purposefully create such images to delight viewers at their subtlety.
• And so much more!