Black and White Photography for Beginners

photography blog December 1, 2022 | 0

Black and white photography requires understanding primary elements and equipment

Skip not knowing the best way to shoot black and white photography. Capturing images in black and white or monochrome can help you produce stunningly expressive pictures.

erpbyalyson.com gathered the following information and tips to help you better understand, compose, frame, and shoot timeless black and white photos.

What is Black and White Photography?

Black and white photography is the most prominent use of monochrome photography. It represents subjects and image composition in varying shades of gray (from white to black) and includes no other colors.

Photography is well-rooted in colorless images. That’s how it all began, eventually earning its popularity and position in the journalism, pop culture, and fine arts fields (long before Kodak introduced color film). To date, black and white photography remains relevant, powerful, and widely practiced with film and digital cameras.

What Is the Difference Between Black & White and Monochrome Photography?

You may often see the terms “black and white” and “monochrome” used interchangeably. However, there are some distinct differences between these photography types.

Monochrome photos are composed entirely of different shades of the same color.
Black and white or grayscale photos are monochrome photos using different shades of gray, with black as the darkest shade and white as the lightest.

A monochrome photo can also use different color shades like sepia and cyanotype (two monochrome photo styles that use shades of reddish-brown and blue, respectively.

What Equipment Do I Need to Shoot in Black and White?

There is no perfect camera for black and white photography, but there are some things to consider when taking black and white shots.

A Black and White Camera – A digital camera with monochrome settings, like a DSLR camera, mirrorless camera, or a good smartphone.

While you can take images in full color and then apply a black and white filter, it will be better to shoot the original in black and white so you can adjust the settings to properly reflect what you are attempting to capture at that moment.

This produces a more accurate result since a photographer can control, in real-time, shadow appearance and depth, light and dark contrast, and how the subject appears in the image. Canon, Sony, and Nikon all provide good DSLR and mirrorless cameras with black and white photography settings.

Photo Editing Software – To get the best black and white digital photography results, you’ll likely need to edit your black and white photos after capturing them using post-processing software like Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom. Smartphone users can use apps like ProShot for Android or Halide for iOS.

Should I Shoot Black and White in RAW or JPEG?

RAW files are considerably larger than JPEG files. Still, most professional photographers will shoot using RAW format since it gives them more information to work with in post-processing.

Raw Image Format (RAW) – This is an unprocessed digital file format rich in data. RAW files provide a significant foundation for post-processing and editing since they capture more information than other image formats. They take up more space on a camera’s memory card. Due to the immense amount of data from your digital sensor, some cameras or devices may fail when attempting to take multiple RAW images quickly.

Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) – Named for the organization responsible for creating the file standard in 1992, JPEG is a popular and common format for compressed digital images. JPEG image files are significantly smaller and easier for a camera to process. Like RAW, JPEG files can be edited using photography software; however, JPEG files compress information (reducing your capacity to control brightness, white balance, and exposure, resulting in lower-quality images.

Tip: Most digital or DSLR cameras give you the option to select RAW format. This can typically be found in the camera’s “quality” settings.

Black and White Photography Primary Elements

Keep the following black and white photography elements in mind and learn to apply them to quickly improve your skillset.

Shapes – Without color to determine how we identify and appreciate a photo’s objects and scenes, we must rely on its shapes. Timeless black and white photographs use intriguing shape and texture combinations to help your viewers experience the image’s subjects.

Composition – In photography, composition refers to object and element placement in your image. When shooting a subject in black and white, examine the composition:

How much is dark, and how much light?
What textures are present in your image?
Are there any interesting shapes to play with for maximal contrast?
Can you manipulate the background or foreground to provide a contrasting surface?

You can create a stunning black and white photo by rearranging and balancing an image’s elements.

Contrast – Eliminating color from an image creates a more significant emphasis on tonal contrast (the difference in shades from light to dark and their relationship to each other). Use subjects in high contrast with each other or their environments, and give a wide distribution between the darkest and lightest tones.

Shadow – In black and white photography, shadows are key elements of your subject and can be the subject themselves. Whether they possess any details or are entirely black, shadows help determine your photos’ feel and impact.

Tip: Practice shooting people, structures, and natural features, adjusting your lighting’s direction and intensity.

Shooting in Black and White

Before digital photography, you had to utilize black and white film to work in black and white. Nowadays, you have two options:

You can shoot images in color and convert your photos to black and white in your post-processing program (Lightroom, Photoshop, etc.).
You can switch your camera to its Monochrome mode (camera image settings).

By shooting in black and white, you’ll get black and white previews on your camera’s LCD screen. You can also see in black and white via your camera’s Live View mode.

Note: If you use a mirrorless camera, you can look through its black and white viewfinder (you’ll see how different colors convert before you capture the shot).