Black-and-White Photography Tips
Sepia or black and white is the original film for photography just as it was for movies. It was in the mid-twentieth century that color photography first became available to the general public. As our world is seen full of vibrant color, why would anyone wish to remove that brilliance from photographs?
This question is slightly difficult to answer as it brings up another question; when to take a black and white photo or when to remove color from a photo using an editing program such as Photoshop.
The answer is quite simple, to simplify the photo. Using black and white or removing the color from a photo enables all distracting elements to be eliminated. This process is similar to that of blurring the background or playing with the frame of a photo.
Now that we have found the why to our question, let's explore the when, in other words, what are the three main situations for removing color from a photograph.
# In portraiture - In color, a close-up picture of a person reveals all kinds of distracting details of their face " blemishes, a red nose, uneven skin tones, and so on. Black-and-white photography strips out these details, and this makes it easier for the viewer to concentrate on what the photo reveals about the persons life or personality, which is what portraiture is all about.
# In abstract fine art photography
Color is very noticeable in a photo, and it generally trumps things like patterns or shapes. So another use for black-and-white is when a photographer wants to take a photo that is about a pattern or shapes. This type of photograph comes up most often in what we might call abstract fine art photography, where there really isnt a clear or recognizable subject for the photo.
Note that black-and-white photographs are generally more tolerant of contrast, so fine art photographers will often strip out color from their photographs and then ramp up the contrast (again, using an image editing program).
# Monochromatic Photography - In this situation, black and white usually works best.
Having a photo that is lacking brilliant color is distracting. Hence, it only stands to reason that it be stripped and made a black and white photo. Just as color can be distracting, so too can be the lack of lustrous color. - 2361
This question is slightly difficult to answer as it brings up another question; when to take a black and white photo or when to remove color from a photo using an editing program such as Photoshop.
The answer is quite simple, to simplify the photo. Using black and white or removing the color from a photo enables all distracting elements to be eliminated. This process is similar to that of blurring the background or playing with the frame of a photo.
Now that we have found the why to our question, let's explore the when, in other words, what are the three main situations for removing color from a photograph.
# In portraiture - In color, a close-up picture of a person reveals all kinds of distracting details of their face " blemishes, a red nose, uneven skin tones, and so on. Black-and-white photography strips out these details, and this makes it easier for the viewer to concentrate on what the photo reveals about the persons life or personality, which is what portraiture is all about.
# In abstract fine art photography
Color is very noticeable in a photo, and it generally trumps things like patterns or shapes. So another use for black-and-white is when a photographer wants to take a photo that is about a pattern or shapes. This type of photograph comes up most often in what we might call abstract fine art photography, where there really isnt a clear or recognizable subject for the photo.
Note that black-and-white photographs are generally more tolerant of contrast, so fine art photographers will often strip out color from their photographs and then ramp up the contrast (again, using an image editing program).
# Monochromatic Photography - In this situation, black and white usually works best.
Having a photo that is lacking brilliant color is distracting. Hence, it only stands to reason that it be stripped and made a black and white photo. Just as color can be distracting, so too can be the lack of lustrous color. - 2361
About the Author:
Tobias Sterling is life long fan of photography. An experience photographer, he loves to share his knowledge and provide lessons about Basic Camera Settings for Photography and Post Process Photos on Clivir.com.
posted by Marcondes Allen at 12:03 AM
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