It’s all black and white

Sometimes, even the most mundane subjects can come alive with the vivid starkness of black-and-white photography. If you want to discover a whole new side to familiar subjects, try shooting them in black-and-white. Here are a few pointers to get you started.

Keep it raw

If you have the option to shoot in raw on your camera, enable it in your settings, so that you will have greater control over your image during post-production. In case you can’t shoot in raw or are using a smartphone, then shoot in colour and convert the image using an app on your smartphone or your computer, so you can later decide which version you like the best.

Change the way you see things

To shoot great black-and-white photos, you need to be able to see the world in monochrome. Imagine your subject without colour, and instead, see it in terms of shadows, shapes, contrasts and highlights. Focus on one particular feature, or approach it from a completely different angle — it will help you express your subject in a different way.

Start with your subject

Since black-and-white photography is a simple yet powerful medium, you should shoot subjects that have contrast, shape and texture. High-contrast subjects work well in black-and-white, as do subjects with simple, graphic shapes. While shooting people too, it’s nice to shoot a portrait of an older face, as their wrinkles and creases add a lot of interesting details to an image.

Some things like sunsets simply do not photograph well in black-and-white, as they rely on stunning colours. Similarly, most birds, flowers and some fashion spreads are best shot in colour.

Create tonal contrast

When we shoot pictures in black-and-white instead of colour, we get shades of grey. The difference between the lighter colours, known as highlights, and darker colours, known as dark tones, is called tonal contrast. You can use tonal contrast to create drama in your photos, as the contrast of dark shades and bright light helps you showcase your image in a different way. Light also helps you get great contrast. For example, side lighting can be used to get longer shadows, making your image more visually appealing.

Compose carefully

Black-and-white photography relies heavily on good composition, as there are no pretty colours to distract the viewer. So create interest in your image with the help of all the tools in your photography kit, like using leading lines, having a strong focal point, or placing interesting objects in the foreground.

The best part about black-and-white photography is that it relies more on your creativity and approach, and not so much on settings and techniques. To shoot great black-and-white photos, you don’t need to learn something new. You just need to learn to see the world around you differently: in black, white and shades of grey.

Resource: http://www.thehindu.com