Photo tips: black and white for beginners

[scully99]

Great black and white photography takes skill – and practising those skills could actually make you a better photographer. Maybe that’s why black and white seems to be having a renaissance. So what does it take to create a great monochrome image?

 

Rethink ‘black and white’

Ok, so you’re losing the colour – but what do you gain? Well, some photographers don’t like to think of it as losing colour because you’ll still see a lot of variation in tone. Don’t think that black and white has no variety – that’s simply not true!

The other reason to love black and white is that you’ll see textures and shapes more. Removing the ‘distraction’ of colour is like stripping back extra elements to get to a ‘purer’ form – one that emphasises other details.

Choose your subject

You can convert into monochrome to ‘fix’ an unsatisfactory picture, but you’ll get best results if you think of monochrome for its own strengths. Take a look at the work of greats like Ansel Adams to see images infused with texture and contrast.

Remember that contrast is key! Some subjects naturally lend themselves to black and white – look for lots of contrast or interesting lighting/shade. Try subjects with whites and blacks in them, or details like patterns or lines. Black and white naturally emphasises details like lines on a face. It can also really bring out the difference between stark and soft.

Learn to see in black and white

Black and white offers a great way to practise composition – but stop thinking ‘in colour’! Instead, train yourself to see texture, line and shape.

When you preview, use black and white. It might seem obvious, but it will help you see what you're getting.

To check your photos will work, use the histogram. It shows how much black the shot has on the left, how much white is on the right, and grey in the middle. Don’t worry if you have lots of either black or white, but do make sure the image isn’t so black parts disappear – and it isn’t overexposed.

 

Lighting

Black and white can give great results on gloomy days – but watch out for flat light (i.e. light that doesn't create much contrast between light and shadow.) Basically, flat light makes photos look flat, so increase the intensity with contrast. Use your camera’s contrast setting when you take the photo, or afterwards using photo editing software.

Get to know your camera and its settings

Use low ISO for less noise. In a black and white shot, it can look really obvious, ruining an image that’s all about textures.

Your camera may have coloured filters among its black and white settings. Experiment with the four colours to bring out detail and create more impact. Generally, the darker the filter colour, the more contrast it gives. (Each colour lightens details with its own colour and makes other details darker.)

Getting more advanced

Shooting RAW format captures more colour information than a JPEG. This way, you can work from a truer image if you’re thinking about using software like Photoshop to convert from colour or edit contrast.

Some of Sony’s cameras can shoot in three different black and white styles in JPEG (High Contrast B&W, Rich-tone B&W, and B&W Creative Style) while keeping the original colour version in RAW. That way you can ‘see’ the black and white image while retaining the colour original. Look for this feature on some of our RX Series, E-mount and A-mount cameras.

Happy shooting – let us know how you get on!