Alcyone, 33rd Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival

Creating black and white images in the computer is fun and becoming a popular art form once again. Our new digital darkroom gives us huge control after shooting the image. This article provides some of the good basics for making these color to b&w conversions.

Black and white photography is a great way to learn how to properly compose pictures which is why it’s often taught early on when first learning photography.

Even if you have a picture with a lot of vibrant colors, it is often the shapes, curves and lines in a photograph that make a picture stand out. So while the colors can be quite beautiful, black and white makes the photo more dynamic.

Despite its wonderful benefits, when the media transitioned to full color in the 70′s and 80′s, black and white photography became less common. Over time it became increasingly more difficult to find places where you could buy black and white film. Now with the popularity of digital cameras and photo editors, black and white photography is back in popularity!

How to Recognize Great Black and White Pictures

Although choosing the best subjects for black and white is very subjective, many professional photographers will agree that the following types of compositions beg for black and white:

Photographs that express strong emotion or feeling. Often times, color can be a distraction whereas black and white makes the emotion or feeling seem more strong.

Pictures that don’t have a full breadth of colors; For instance, Ansel Adam’s Yosemite “Moon and Half Dome” is a great example.”

* Low contrast images such as photographs shot on dark overcast days.

* Any subject with the lines, contours, shadows and curves that you just know will look great in black and white. How can you tell? You can learn by studying lots of black and white pictures! Just look online for “Ansel Adams.” Or search for “famous black and photos.”

* Look at B&W photography books at the library. There are many different ways to learn how to take black and white photographs!

Create Black & White Photography with a Photo Editor

Once you see a subject and know it would like best in black and white, then you can always set your camera to B&W and take it. Once you get more experienced with photo editing software, you’ll find that it’s better to take pictures in color and then desaturate them in the editor to create a black and white photo. Another added benefit to this method is that you’ll never accidentally take a day’s worth of pictures in black and white because you forgot to reset the camera!

Check Your Camera’s White Balance

While the easiest way to change a color to black and white is to desaturate it with your photo editor, this technique doesn’t let you control how the primary colors work together to produce a grayscale brightness. If your black and white photograph has good white balance, then using a photo editor to desaturate your picture may be all you need to do.

Make Sure to Use Your Photo Editing Software’s Color Swatches

By using a photo editor, you can also apply color swatches. Even though we don’t see the colors in black and white, there are tones, and these are created by colors. Color swatches work similar to how a color lens works on an SLR camera. For example, filters in the yellow to orange range are flattering to the skin while green creates nice tones for nature pictures.

And finally, don’t forget to show off your black and white photographs. Good black and white photos should be framed so you can fully appreciate their artistic message. You should select a picture frame with simple clean lines as these will best highlight your photograph. Hope you enjoyed these four black and white photography tips and have fun taking your next black and white photo!

Autumn Lockwood is a writer for http://www.yourpictureframes.com/ . Visit our website and see our selection of square picture frames: http://www.yourpictureframes.com/categories/Square-Picture-Frames/ or call 800-780-0699.

Black and White Photography - Fern

Black and white photography has come and gone over the past few decades but with the advent of digital photography and Photoshop anyone can now dabble with this wonderfully artistic art form. No more smelly darkrooms in the bathroom and nasty chemicals to dispose of. If you are going to read one short introduction to b&w photography this is the one!

Black and white photography is a field of artistic photography that holds a fascination for many people, photographer and viewer alike. If done well, black and white photography can evoke an atmosphere, or create a sense of character in a subject that may not be so well captured in a colour photograph.

In the age of digital photography, producing a black and white image can be simply a matter of using software to convert a colour image. It is a matter for your own judgment whether this is effective for your photographs. Sometimes a photo you think will make a great black and white photo will disappoint; sometimes a photo you never imagined will surprise you.

However, most serious photographers will tell you that the best black and white photos are taken when the photographer deliberately sets out with black and white images in mind. This creates an entirely different mindset in terms of how you choose and approach your subject. You may, for example, start to see potential in subjects you would never normally consider for colour photography.

If you have never had a serious go at black and white photography, here are a few simple tips to help you get started.

Black And White Photography Tip #1

Choosing A Subject. Some subjects lend themselves to colour but are not nearly so effective in black and white. Sunsets, for example, are really all about colour, so rarely produce a good black and white image. Colourful birds, flowers, fashion…there are many times when the only logical approach is to shoot your subject in colour. On the other hand, some subjects are ideally suited to black and white photography.

Because this is an ‘old-fashioned’ medium, it often works well with old-fashioned subjects. Rustic items like old farm equipment, a tumble-down shack, an old wooden fence can all be great subjects for black and white photos.

When photographing people, age can also be a factor. A close-up portrait of an aged face showing all the lines and creases of their years on earth can have much greater impact in black and white.

This can only be a short article, so these examples are just the tip of the iceberg. You will find many great subject once you start thinking in black and white.

Black And White Photography Tip #2

‘Seeing’ Your Subject In Black And White. When you first approach your subject, you need to imagine how it will look without colour. Try to look at it in terms of lines and shapes, shadows and contrasts. You will begin to see your subjects in a whole new light. You may even find yourself zooming in on a particular feature, or photographing the subject from an angle you might never have considered in the past. One thing is for sure; once you get into the “black and white head space” your camera will express the character of the subject in an entirely different way.

Black And White Photography Tip #3

Use The Light To Enhance Impact. Because a black and white photo relies so much on shadows to define shapes and details, your approach to lighting can make or break an image. As a nature photographer, I often photograph black and white photos quite differently from colour photos.

You have probably heard the rule that the best landscape photography is done early or late in the day when the sun is low and the light is soft and even. Well, in black and white photography I often look for just the opposite. To create better definition in a subject I will often take my photos through the middle part of the day, to create heavier shadows to emphasize the lines and shapes in the composition. I am also more inclined to take photos looking directly toward the sun, to produce silhouettes that make the most of trees, windmills and other strong shapes against the sky.

Earlier I mentioned a portrait of a very old person. If it is the lines on a face that give the image its character, you need to make sure the lighting is from an angle that produces shadows in the creases. Thus you may be looking for lighting in a black and white photograph that would be considered unflattering and unsuitable for a colour photograph.

So there you have three very simple tips for black and white photography. Notice that they are all about the creative approach, not about settings and camera techniques. This is because in most ways black and white poses no more technical challenge than colour photography. To take better black and white photographs, you don’t necessarily need to change the way you use your camera. Instead, you are looking to change the way you see the subject, and how you can use light, shade and composition to capture the character that black and white photography has to offer.

If you are looking for a new creative challenge, I recommend giving black and white photography a try. It may open your eyes to aspects of your world that have never turned you on before. Good luck and happy snapping!

Andrew Goodall believes that with a small amount of guidance, anyone can become a better photographer, no matter what sort of camera they have. Andrew’s ebook “Photography in Plain English” is a perfect place to start. Check it out at http://www.naturesimage.com.au and while you are there, sign up to the online newsletter for even more tips…it’s free!

Article Source: ArticleSpan

* Shoot in colour. This may seem strange when taking black and white images, but if you convert the images to black and white in Photoshop (or equivalent) in post-production, you also have a collection of colour shots you can use later

* Try getting in close – real close. An image where you can clearly see each line on the subject’s face displays their character

* Capture their natural expressions. We have all encountered the cheesy grin when someone poses – but seeing the subject in their natural state reveals much more and makes for a lasting, memorable shot

* Create a moody atmosphere by providing some side lighting. This effectively throws one half of the face into shadow, and can make even the friendliest person appear rather menacing

* Add a depth of field element. For example, ask the subject to partially mask their face with their hand, then move the hand towards the camera. This adds a 3 dimensional feel, and makes an intriguing twist on a normal portrait

* Make your subject look as ‘unposed’ as possible. Chat to them regularly throughout the shoot and make them feel at ease. Tell a few jokes and get them smiling. If they are enjoying the session, this will leap out from the printed images. A reliable photography course online will cover not just technical aspects, but also include techniques to relax your subject during a portrait session

* A quirky look or other unnatural pose will tell the viewer something different about the subject’s personality and character

* Carefully study your subject’s profile, and take some shots side-on. These can produce striking images, which the viewer would not expect. Prominent shapes of cheekbones, noses, lips can all be revealed

* Contrast dark clothing against a light background to create impact

* Frame the subject tightly. This provides an intimate portrait, and successfully eliminates any distractions

* Try to take all types of shots. A photograph revealing a humorous side to an otherwise serious person will make for a captivating image

* In post-production, experiment with selective and creative cropping of the image.

A successful black and white portrait can be more powerful than the equivalent colour image. It takes us to the subject’s bare bones and gives an almost documentary feel to the picture. Black and white lends itself well to portraying characters, revealing raw emotion that does not always show up with the distraction of colour. If you are currently following a photography course online, submitting a selection of black and white portraits will become a strong addition to your portfolio.

Discover how easy it is to take memorable photographs simply by following a photography course online. Please check out http://www.photographycourseonline.info for further information.

Article Source: ArticleSpan