Black & White Photography Tips
Personally speaking, black and white photography requires a special eye not only amid the shooting phase, but also amid the post processing phase. Not all subjects convert positively to black and white. Contrast plays a key roll in creating dynamic black and white results. While some black & white photographers argue that contrasty subjects are best, others place the emphasis on low contrast subjects. For me, subjects with quite a lot of details tend to work exceptionally well for black and white conversions - like a gray parrot with generous feather details. Another favorite black and white conversion for me are scenes with glorious puffy clouds filling the sky.
Whenever I think about black and white photography I think of ageing subjects, of days gone by. I'm old enough to remember the days of black and white photography and the era of insta-matic cameras. My oh my - how quickly things have changed.
Old houses that have been weathered by the hands of time make excellent black and white subjects and can take on a spooky mood.
Subjects that start out as gray or that are dominated by either black or white also make excellent black and white candidates. Wedding shots are perfect for experimentation and can create an entirely different mood than the colonized version.
Certain animals convert well in black and white like the zebra and buffalo, again - both of these subjects containing colors that work well for conversion.
Graveyards provide an excellent source for black and white subjects. The mood can be shifted by shooting with the light at different times of the day. Iron fences with strong lines add interest to the photo.
Scary props such as scarecrows and ghouls are also great black and white subjects.
Shoot using the lowest ISO possible as the higher the ISO, the more likely the noise in the final photo. Shooting on overcast days or dreary days when contrast is low are ideal for shooting in black and white.
When shooting look for lines, angles, curves and textures that are interesting through the lens as well as to the eye. If the subject is interesting to you, then it's probably going to be interesting to the viewer, too.
There are several modes for black and white images. Many cameras have a black & white shooting option. If not, you can easily convert the colored images in post processing and there are numerous methods for doing this. I like to create a duplicate of my image after resizing. Always work with a copy of your image and save the original in a safe place so that you don't accidentally work on the wrong image.
After I make a duplicate of the photo I'm working on, then I desaturate the image. I can use the Opacity tool if I want to bring a little color back into the image. At times, I will split the image via the RGB channels as detailed below. Each result will have a different look.
There are several plug-ins that will convert your colorized photo to black and white amid the post processing phase - or again, you can shoot in black and white.
I've found it best to shoot in color then perform a black and white conversion by splitting the RGB channels (the red, green and blue channels). The green channel tends to hold the greater detail, but the results are chiefly dependent upon the subject matter. When the RGB channels are split the photographer has the option of choosing 3 different converted black and white images. With the YIQ - there is only one clear choice.
Going from color to black & white creates a dramatic difference as demonstrated in the two comparison photos below. While some photographers are drawn to colorized photography, others only see in black and white.
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