Black and White Photography Tips - Shooting Black and White Photos

Black and white photography is coming back into vogue amongst photography enthusiasts. When color photography came into the scene, it resulted in black and white photography falling out of favor. It just seemed so drab and dull beside the bursts of color that color photography represented. However, of late, people are beginning the discover again the intrinsic beauty of black and white photography and the purity and power that black and white pictures can have. Here are a few tips to take into consideration while shooting black and white photographs.

Choosing Your Subject

Although the subject you choose to photograph is always important, whether for color photography or black and white photography, however, there are special factors to take in to consideration in black and white photography. For example, while some subjects may seem very interesting as photography material in color, if you take a black and white picture of them, they often turn out looking dull. But then, often a simple scene or a portrait can come out looking quite dramatic in black and white. Many people in fact are opting to have their wedding pictures shot in black and white because of the romantic and timeless quality it gives them.

When photographing people in black and white, the pictures come out better if they dressed in simple clothes, which have solid colors, instead of prints. You can achieve a dramatic and dreamy effect by having as few elements as possible when taking black and white pictures. Landscapes, cityscapes, still life with fruit and flower arrangements also make great subjects for black and white photography. You need to have a keen eye for the unusual, such as the effects of shapes and shadows made by various objects, or buildings or trees.

The Effects of Light and Shadow

As a matter of fact, black and white photographs are basically about light and shadow. This is the reason they must be used as effectively as possible. For instance, try taking pictures of a scene at various times of the day and you will notice how light and shadow can affect the mood of a black and white photo. Another idea is to experiment with the quality or intensity of light. For instance, you could take a picture of a tree on a foggy day, and then photograph the same tree on a bright day.

Take Shapes into Consideration

Since black and white pictures lack color, they are dependent largely on lines and shapes to create interest. Try an incorporate a variety of shapes that create different types of lines such as curving lines, crooked lines, or slanting lines. Stark straight lines can also have dramatic effects in black and white photos.

Mind Your Perspective

Perspective can create some very interesting effects, especially in black and white photography. Perspective can bring alive a standard subject, it can suggest depth and mystery in every day objects, and, in fact, you can make a picture tell a story just by using an unusual angle while photographing a scene in black and white. For instance, say you want to a picture of a tall building with

Take Care of the Background

While taking black and white photos you need to make sure that the subject does not get lost in the background. Often, just by shifting your subject a little to the left or right can help in eliminating unwanted elements in your photograph. Or you could try and take the picture from another angle.

Add Texture

Texture can add interest and definition to black and white photos. For example, a black and white picture of a roughly textured wall will certainly look more interesting than a smooth wall, or a road made of cobblestones will look more dramatic than a smooth one.

Colors Do Matter

Yes, different colors have different effects on black and white photos. For example, while green and red may look striking juxtaposed against each other in a colored photo, however, the two colors become almost indistinguishable in a black and white photograph. The more contrast that colors have in their grayscale values, the more interest will they create in black and white pictures.

Keep in mind that you can use the stark qualities of black and white shades to create dramatic and meaningful pictures. You can have a lot of fun, and often get strikingly unusual effects, by experimenting with this genre of photography.