Black and white photography was once thought of as being a thing of the past. Technology and Colour photography led the way, and everything became bold and bright. More recently, however, the monochrome picture’s art has been re-evaluated by many and has become a preferred format.
Some subjects will always look better if photographed in color. For instance, a Formula One race’s starting grid would look somewhat lackluster without the cars and drivers’ interesting race colors. Some scenes can look fairly good, although very unusual, in both black and white and color. For example, scenarios such as woodland can profit from either format, but the two pictures would have a very distinctive feel. Some simple black and photography tips can ensure that you bring out the shapes and shade in your photographs, and this will result in an added depth that is often missing with colors.
Here are the top 4 tips for people interested in Black and White Photography.
- Picking a Subject: Some subjects lend themselves to color but are not so effective without it. For instance, sunrise photos rely on an incredible sky’s color for their impact and rarely produce a good black and white image. Flowers, colorful birds, balloons, there are many times when the only sensible approach is to shoot your subject in color. On the other hand, some subjects are ideal for black and white photography. Because this is an ‘old-fashioned’ medium, it often works fine with old-fashioned subjects. Rustic items like a tumble-down shack, old farm equipment, an ancient mystical wooden fence can all be fantastic subjects for black and white pictures.
- Travel Back in the BW era and find inspiration: Here is an apparent tip that many photographers forget to do. If you want to be meticulous with black and white photography, you must take out time and explore old black and white movies and photos for inspiration. Back when people were confined with their coloring, they had to produce some fantastic shots to get others hooked. Look at some old pictures and films for some inspiration.
- Contrast: Since BW photography is all about working with only black, white, and a few shades, always focus the contrast in the pictures you click. When clicking a photo, think about how it will look like in white and black. A morning sky will look impressive when compared with a dark object. Having a person or object silhouette in front of a light background will create some striking contrast.
- Patterns: A memorable picture typically has some design to it. Something that makes the spectators’ eyes follow the pattern and stare at them. Patterns can be blades of grass, rocks by the beach, cars going from right to left, and any other repeating texture, object, or design. For instance, clicking black and white street photography patterns can make your pictures distinct and make the primary subject grab attention. Patterns work incredibly well in black and white photography because there are no colors to divert you.
If you enjoy clicking pictures and want to explore a new dimension in photography, I am sure you will love playing with black and white. It may open your eyes to the perspectives of your world that have never turned you on before. At NYK Daily, we wish you very good luck in your future endeavors.
