HOW TO TAKE GOOD BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS:

BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT A DYING ART.  IN FACT, THERE ARE MORE GROUPS THAN EVER TRYING TO SPECIALIZE IN BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY.  THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF PHOTOGRAPHY THAT WE CAN SERIOUSLY CALL ART.  THERE IS STILL LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY THAT IS STILL A BEAUTIFUL ART SUBJECT.  THERE IS A GROUP OF PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO SPECIALIZE IN “STREET PHOTOGRAPHY”.  AND THERE ARE STILL MANY GROUPS OF PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO HAVE MADE BLACK AND WHITE A SPECIALTY ART AS WELL.  BLACK AND WHITE ART PHOTOGRAPHY HAS BEEN AROUND, OBVIOUSLY, SINCE PHOTOGRAPHY WAS INVENTED.  SO, THIS IS THE BASIC ART FORM OF PHOTOGRAPHY.  

TO BECOME GOOD AT BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY, THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO MAKE YOUR PHOTOS REALLY STAND OUT.  WHAT MAKES A BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO BETTER THAN COLOR?  OR WHY WOULD YOU EVEN ATTEMPT TO DO BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY?  SOMETIMES WHEN I LOOK AT A BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO, AND IT IS REALLY GOOD, I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT IT HAS TO LOOK BETTER IN BLACK AND WHITE, THAN IN COLOR.  SO, LET’S LOOK AT THE TIPS OF HOW TO TAKE THE BEST BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS SO YOU TOO, CAN BECOME AN ARTIST IN BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY:

1. PICK THE BEST SUBJECT FOR BLACK AND WHITE:

SO OBVIOSULY THE SUBJECT FOR BLACK AND WHITE NEEDS TO BE THE RIGHT SUBJECT.  WHEN I VIEW OR JUDGE WHICH PHOTOS WILL BE IN A BLACK AND WHITE PRESENTATION, A SUNSET WILL NOT BE CHOSEN.  A SUNSET WILL BE MORE SUITED FOR A COLOR PRESENTATION.  COLORFUL FLOWERS, BIRDS, SCENERY, ARE NOT USUALLY A GOOD BLACK AND WHITE PRESENTATION.

BECAUSE BLACK AND WHITE SEEMS LIKE AN OLD MEDIUM, SOME THINGS THAT USUALLY WILL CATCH THE EYE IN A GOOD BLACK AND WHITE  PHOTO IS THINGS LIKE AN OLD BARN, OR HOUSE, MAYBE AN OLD FENCE, OR RUSTIC SETTING.

HOW ABOUT PEOPLE?  SOMETIMES THE BEST BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS OF PEOPLE ARE THE AGED PEOPLE THAT HAVE LOTS OF CREASES AND LINES OF THEIR YEARS SHOWING.  THOSE PEOPLE ARE THE BEST SUITED FOR BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS.

CAN YOU TAKE A PHOTO OF YOUNGER PEOPLE IN BLACK AND WHITE?  YES, OF COURSE.  BUT, BE REALLY CAREFUL WITH THIS ONE.  I FIND THAT MOST YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE COLORFUL CLOTHES ON, BEAUTIFUL MAKEUP ON, BUT, IN SOME CASES, WHEN THEY HAVE DARK HAIR, OR THE CONTRAST IS PERFECT ON THEIR SKIN TONES AND THEIR CLOTHES, YOU CAN COME UP WITH A PERFECT PHOTO  OF A YOUNG PERSON IN BLACK AND WHITE AS WELL:

THE ABOVE PHOTO WAS ONE OF THE WINNING PHOTOS IN THE “ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY” PART 3.  I WAS STRUCK AT THE PERFECT SKIN TONES OF THIS MODEL USED IN THIS BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO, BESIDES BEING A LOVELY MODEL.  BUT, THIS BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO TURNED OUT SO PERFECT IN BLACK AND WHITE, THAT THIS WAS CERTAINLY AN EXCEPTION TO THE RULE.

2- LEARN TO SEE YOUR SUBJECT IN BLACK AND WHITE:

‘Seeing’ Your Subject In Black And White. When you first approach your subject, you need to imagine how it will look without colour. Try to look at it in terms of lines and shapes, shadows and contrasts. You will begin to see your subjects in a whole new light. You may even find yourself zooming in on a particular feature, or photographing the subject from an angle you might never have considered in the past. One thing is for sure; once you get into the ‘black and white headspace’ your camera will express the character of the subject in an entirely different way.

3- USE THE LIGHT TO ENHANCE IMPACT:

BLACK AND WHITE CAN BE A GREAT TOOL TO ENHANCE LIGHT.  OR EVEN TO IMPACT THE DRAMATIC EFFECT IN LIGHTING.  IF YOU CAN GET A CHANCE TO SEE A REAL CONTRAST IN DARK AND LIGHT, PERHAPS THIS WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO A BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO:

SOMETIMES JUST FINDING PLAIN BLACK AND WHITE IN A PHOTO IS ALSO JUST THE BEST THING FOR FINDING THE MOST WINNING TYPE OF BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO BECAUSE IT JUST CATCHES YOUR EYE:

I HOPE AS YOU GET EXCITED ABOUT BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY, YOU WILL REMEMBER THESE SIMPLE 3 TIPS.  AND A REMINDER THAT ON NOVEMBER 30TH, A SPECIAL GALLERY PRESENTATION, A COLLECTION OF THE BEST BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND ON THE INTERNET, WILL BE PRESENTED ON THIS WEBSITE.  THESE PHOTOS ARE A SAMPLE OF TRUE ARTISTIC BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS.  I HOPE YOU ALL CAN LEARN FROM THIS COLLECTION OF GREAT BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS.  WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF COLLECTING THEM RIGHT NOW.  AND THEY ARE GREAT ONES.

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