Greetings, dear readers Here are 10 suggestions from me, Zaaflixz, to help you take better black-and-white pictures:
1. Plan your black-and-white shots.
Shooting should only be done in black and white. Attempt to capture it in black and white rather than just capturing a nice picture of it. Consider how your photo's shapes, patterns, textures, shadows, and lines could seem in a black-and-white version.
2. Take into account lighting
Keep in mind that contrast rather than hue will now be communicated via your photo's lighting. Gray skies on cloudy days can look gloomy in color images, yet they can look serene in black and white. Bright colors in photographs taken during golden hour typically contrast sharply when they are turned black and white. Different emotions can be conveyed by lighting intensity. Sharp contrast and more intense blacks and whites can give your photo a moodier or dramatic appearance, while softer contrast and a wider range of grays can give your photo a calmer appearance.
3. Take raw and grayscale pictures (if you can)
Shooting in black and white will allow you to see items in that color through the camera's viewfinder, which will make it simpler for you to think in that color. Black and white photography requires shooting in raw because it maintains image quality, creates the smoothest grayscale, and makes modifying color filters and white balance later much simpler. (You might not have these options if you are shooting analog, using a phone, or a particular sort of camera.)
4. Apply a polarizing filter.
A polarizing filter is used to minimize the glare from reflecting surfaces. They are particularly helpful when taking pictures of water, damp surfaces, glass, metal, or anything else that might reflect light. When used with black and white photography, polarizing filters are even more crucial because glare is much more noticeable in this kind of photography. You might want to apply a polarizing filter in some situations; you can learn more about polarizing filters here.
5. Locate the Abstract
Since we can concentrate on the lines and textures of the image rather than the colors, abstract images can actually work very well in black and white. Black and white photography may convert common textures into abstract shapes. Don't forget to consider texture, lines, darks and lights, patterns, negative space, and lines. To get a fresh, non-linear perspective, try taking a close-up shot of something.
6. Challenge assumptions
The best black-and-white photographs are rarely taken of subjects that are already very near to being in that state. It frequently depicts objects that we would typically expect to see in color. This is particularly true for objects with vivid colors that would usually compete with other textures and patterns. When color is removed, additional aspects of the subject that the viewer may not have noticed before become apparent. The most compelling image is typically the one that black and white most drastically transforms.
7. Use HDR
Because HDR focuses on obtaining constant exposure levels over the entire image, when utilized with black and white, it can generate stunning results. Read our post on HDR photography to discover how to do it. When capturing pictures, always aim for HDR rather than using an HDR application or filter.
8. Track down a Black and White.
At least one real black and one true white should be present in your image. If not, it is either too bright, bright, or dark. Use this fundamental guideline for black-and-white photography to ensure that the contrast in your images is just correct.
9. Use color filters or post-processing with color filters
Color filters allow for the adjustment of the black-and-white tones. If you are completely certain of what you want in advance, you can change it later using an image-editing tool or a color filter on your camera's lens. Find out how color filters might improve your black-and-white photos in the following paragraphs.
10. Dodge and Burn
Using an editing tool to make specific areas of your shot brighter and darker is known as dodging and burning. By adding light to some areas of your images, you may draw attention to certain areas while making other areas less prominent and giving the appearance of more dramatic contrasts and shadows.
Conclusion
Hope this article helps you improve in your black and white photographic techniques. Always visit my website for more tips on photography and videography. Much love 💕💗.