The beauty of black and white photography is its simplicity. The absence of color offers new perspectives of interpreting what is in front of us. Black and white communicates depth, feeling. It moves and pulls the viewer for a closer study of the image. How to see in black in white when we live in a world filled with color? These tips may encourage seeing in black and white at the time of image capture.
4 Considerations to Seeing in Black & White ~ Monochrome
Seeing in Black & White – The White Dahlia by Sheen Watkins
Tonal contrast – Does your scene have a differences between lights and darks? Do you see extreme contrasts, interesting shapes from shadows? How does the dahlia use clear tonal contrast between light and darks, delicate shades of gray?
Texture, shapes, patterns and lines – The devil (in this case is a good one!) is in the details. Subjects and scenes with lines, a significant amount of texture play well in black and white. Images with patterns, shapes add interest. What impact do these features have in the dahlia image?
Negative space & simplicity – Negative space refers to the area that surrounds the main area. In the dahlia image, the negative space would be the black background. Negative in the Outer Banks road below is the vastness of a lack of detail that pushes the viewer to the end of the road.
Post processing potential – When in the field, being intentional in your consideration of how you’ll process your image in black and white can also elevate your traditional photography. It encourages an extra degree of study which may improve outcome. When photographing for black and white, add in your post processing techniques. The use of Lightroom’s (or other post processing application) contrast, clarity, texture, shadows, highlights, whites and black sliders will inject pop and interest.
The Lonely Drive, best viewed full screen by Sheen Watkins
Black and white photography. Monochrome imagery. The absence of color is art. The absence of color is beautiful.
Hi and thanks for reading! I love photography and all the crazy moments that go along with it. Early wake up calls, late nights, chasing the light. My artwork spans landscape, nature, birds and wildlife. I enjoy writing, the RV travel life, hosting workshops too. In addition to Aperture and Light, I'm a contributing writer and photographer to Light Stalking. You can find my work on Instagram, my website, Facebook Page, Pinterest and LinkedIn. Art prints and metals are available in my Etsy Studio. I also have a YouTube channel.
Excellent tips, Sheen. B&W photography is definitely something I struggle with so I tend not to even think about it while in the field. I’ll have to start looking for opportunities for it.
Thanks Dennis! Something tells me you already have a lot of awesome images already you could shift to black and white for some editing fun. Have a super (or should I say soupy – as it’s very gray today) day!
[…] recently shared with you a fast tips article on seeing in black and white (B&W) when photographing in color. Since then, a few professional photographers from […]
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3 comments
Excellent tips, Sheen. B&W photography is definitely something I struggle with so I tend not to even think about it while in the field. I’ll have to start looking for opportunities for it.
Thanks Dennis! Something tells me you already have a lot of awesome images already you could shift to black and white for some editing fun. Have a super (or should I say soupy – as it’s very gray today) day!
[…] recently shared with you a fast tips article on seeing in black and white (B&W) when photographing in color. Since then, a few professional photographers from […]
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