Understanding Black and White Photography
“The key to successful black and white photography is learning to see the world in monochrome.” (Gibson, par. 1) It is imperative to understand that not all photos are black and white material. There are certain types of photos that are only meant to be for color impact.
As you can see with the photo above, there is a lot of color which makes the photograph powerful. The contrast between the ground and the sky. The different shades in the clouds, the color of the trees, the sheep and the sheep herder are all different colors. The lighting in the picture is very high, there is not enough shadowing to make it into an interesting black and white photograph. Making this photo black and white would not be a smart decision because of all the different things going on in this picture. You would lose the feel of the picture.
As you’re evaluating your subject, try and imagine how it will look in black and white. Visualize how a shot’s shapes, textures and tones will be recorded.
The success of your black-and-white photos depend on several different factors, but the main focus to look out for is a main subject that will appear in a significantly different shade of grey to the background. Then look out for subtleties of tone and texture that will add depth to your images.
In the next parts of this 3 blog series I will go in more depth on texture of the photo, tonal contrast and shape and form of a photograph.
