Chiiz Volume 10 : Black and White Photography

subjects. It’s not necessarily always the case,
but I often feel more connected to a person in
a black and white image over a color image,
this could be the reason why.
Black and white photography is clearer – by
this I mean that a good black and white image
can enhance a subject’s features and create a
clearer picture of what they look like. It seems
counter-intuitive but when you compare
color and black and white versions of the
same image, you’ll see that it’s true.
With black and white photography, you
will need to pay more attention to light,
composition, contrast, and the whole scene in
general. It takes some time to develop an eye
for black and white but a monochrom image
can stand out from the crowd - so it is worth
it.
Find out your style
Like in color photography, there are also a
lot of styles in black and white photography.
You can either you use a film look that adds
an air of mystery to the picture or you prefer
a sharp, clean look with high contrasts. It
depends on what kind you like to use to tell
your story with your images.
Always shoot RAW
Raw files contain all the information captured
by your camera’s sensor. A RAW file has to be
processed (using a software) and converted
to a JPEG or TIFF file in order to be usable,
and that is definitely necessary if you want to
convert your shot into a good black and white
image.
Keep it simple
Always seek to simplify in monochrome. Seek
to make the scene less complicated. Seek to
make simple compositions.
Lighting is the key
Contrasty lighting is what makes a black and
white image pop. If you look at the work of
famous photographers like Ansel Adams, his
images stand out because of the light contrast.
Make light your friend - because photography
means “painting with light.” Shooting outdoor
when the light is good - look out for spots
where u get intense light/contrast.
Experiment a lot
Try to experiment with different perspectives,
especially when you shoot outdoor. Take the
elevator to the top of a skyscraper, and shoot
down. Or shoot up. Also you get dramatic
shadows in your captures when the sun sets.
Silhouette photographs are often stronger in
black and white.
In photography, one amazing fact is that you
can always learn something new. I’m not a
portrait photographer but I keep coming
back to the studio to improve my skills in this
field of photography. Doing something else
rather than only concentrate on your genre
enhances your creativity and you can use the
learnings out of these experiments in all the
other situations in your photography life.
Get inspired by others
I study the work of others a lot to learn, how
they work with light, textures and contrasts.
There are a lot of inspiring photographers
out there focusing on black and white
photography. It helped me and I even got very
useful feedback. But don’t imitate others or
try to be like them - that won’t work. It is a
process and takes some time - stick to your
personal style and make sure your pictures
tell a story - and others will notice it. Get
connected to get feedback. I appreciate every
single feedback I get to improve myself.
Most important tip: Just start shooting
Photography is a constant learning process.
It is essential knowing the technique but
developing yourself to unleash your creativity
only comes from trying, analyzing and
repeating. I started with street photography,
not only because I love to document life, but
also because I can’t control my environment.
I started to focus more on light, contrasts,
textures and more. The learnings out of this
helps me today in any photography situation
to make different and creative images, to
share my views and tell a story with them.
Force yourself to focus on black and white –
since most digital cameras have the capacity
to shoot black and white right in camera use it
to your advantage. It is a really great exercise
to occasionally force yourself to do so. Grab a
friend and go shoot 50 or 100 frames in black
and white. Then come back and study your
work, whether it look like you wanted ror not.
Find areas you want to improve in. Search
online for help and advices and go back to try
it again. I guarantee, that after a few attempts
,not only will you get more confident in what
you do - but you and the people who examine
your work will notice a progress.
Even Stevens
Sony Alpha 9 50mm F/5.6 1/1000s ISO2000
Bowed
Canon 5D MK III 28mm F/6.3 1/125s ISO100