Photoscout

• Techniques to Get Topnotch Black and White Digital Photography

  Black and white images have been considered by many people as a thing of the past since the arrival of color photography. But for those people who see photography an art, of black and white photography is a thing of the present. Now, using your digital camera, you can easily give black and white photography a try.

  Choosing black and white

  Many believe that removing color from a photo can make it lifeless. On the contrary, black and white photos are full of drama. In fact, removing color can add something to the photo. It reveals details that you would not have noticed in color. Sometimes, color obscures the form and texture of your subjects. What is good about black and white photography is that you can can highlight the structure of an object or a scene using even the simplest digital camera.

  Lighting

  What kind of lighting conditions should you look out for? In landscape photography, look for “active skies” - the worst conditions are often featureless gray overcast skies or clear blue cloudless skies as they become dull in black and white prints. But sometimes even apparently featureless gray skies can have intricate texture, which you can bring out in black and white prints. When you think of black and white digital images, the absence of light is as important as the highlights.

  Look for lighting conditions that will give you good deep shadows, which can give a solidity and depth to an image or a scene. Shadows are one of the most important features of your composition. Go out at night and you will see deep shadows and light sources. In addition, if you have the sun behind you when you take a photo, you will find it difficult to bring out the higher contrast people often look for in black and white digital photography.

  Composition

  You have all the basic rules in photography to look at and use as necessary. If you want to emphasize the object or the scene’s geometric structure, look for lines lines that guide the eyes into the picture, or curves suggesting a “flow” or movement. And you must not forget the basic rule of thirds. You can get an idea for your composition by checking out other’s work and go for the images that are instantly appealing. If you have to think hard about a photo to like it, then it is probably not a good photo. Composition in black and white digital photography is not primarily an intellectual exercise.

  Conversion to black and white

  You can create black and white digital pictures by setting your digital camera to black and white mode and shoot a photo. Another way, which is better, is taking color photos and then converting them to black and white with the help of photo editing software. The second way is suggested because with a color photograph, you can undo your black and white conversion if needed. Or if you want, you can leave the photo as is. In addition, you get better results as your digital camera’s black and white picture only has 256 shades of gray. On the other hand, a colored photo has more than 16 million colors, which will result in a great photo once converted into black and white. Lastly, it gives you more control.

  Photo editing software

  Most digital cameras have their own photo editing software CD. Here are some of the most popular software titles: Photoshop CS3 (Win, Mac), Photoshop Lightroom (Win, Mac), Photoshop Elements (Windows), GIMP (Win, Mac, Unix), and Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 (Windows). Nearly all editing software come with contrast/brightness adjustment and grayscale conversion. But using only these two features will not give you the best photos. You should choose editing software that have the following features: levels adjustment, grayscale conversion, channel mixer, desaturation, curves adjustment, and hue adjustment.

  Posted in Black and White Photography

  September 15th, 2008 / No Comments

• Black and White Portraits

  Many black and white photographers are into portraits. This is a favorite subject because black and white portraits are elegant and powerful and have timeless quality that is difficult to match in color. Not only this type of photography produces great images, it also brings out what is usually not seen in other photographs - the person and the character behind the face. It lays bare the subject’s soul and exposes all his or her traits and flaws. Looking at the black and white portrait is like looking at the subject’s personality, rather than the physical attributes. Black and white portraiture shows the subjects as they really are.

  Subject

  You do not need an actor to photograph in black and white. Everyone can be a good subject. Whether you are taking a portrait of a housewife, an athlete, or an outlaw, you can capture what is behind their gaze or facial expression in monochrome. But there are some demographics that lend themselves more to the allures of black and white portraits than any other - the old, wrinkly people. The lines and folds in the face make a really captivating black and white photo. Portraits of old people reveal their character and personality. They tell a story.

  Another great subjects are young children. Whether you are taking a photo of a child licking ice cream or a hungry street child, black and white photography can reflect their innocence alongside joy/suffering on print. Regardless of your subjects’ age, getting in close when photographing them can be worth your while. Many photographers make an extreme close-up, usually losing the ears and the top of the head out of the frame. They focus only on the facial features of the subjects.

  Setting up

  The exposure should be set right in order to get the crispest whites and the darkest blacks. Try to bracket your shots. Use the exposure compensation function of your camera to take a picture at the automatic setting, then one at -0.5EV and one at +0.5EV to make sure you get come up with the best results. You can also experiment with this as this can produce excellent silhouettes.

  Lighting

  Think very carefully about lighting. If you are taking a picture of an old person, strong daylight can help if you want to highlight the lines and folds of the face and add character. On the other hand, if your objective is to make your subject look younger in photograph, a bright burst of flash can help. In addition, you can also bounce light off a piece of white card for a lovely effect. With proper lighting, black and white portraits can capture the atmosphere and show to the viewer the emotion you are trying to convey.

  Painting with light

  You can take photos in black and white. But many photographers also shoot in full color, converting the photos later on using RAW file editor. Either way, you have to approach your subjects in an entirely different manner. Piercing green eyes or bright red make-up simply will not have similar impact in a black and white picture. What you should do is focus on texture, shape, and shade.

  Posted in Black and White Photography

  August 20th, 2008 / No Comments

• Shooting Landscapes in Black and White

  A golden field of rice ready to be harvested, contrasted with the lush green leaves of the surrounding trees, will look very lively against deep blue sky with wispy cloud formations, when it is photographed in full color. But the drama of the landscape is usually lost in black and white photography, as the lively colors all dissolve into dull shades of gray. Of course, many good photographers are able to reflect in their black and white works the drama of landscapes. But this comes with time and practice.

  Shooting landscapes in mono

  So why do many photographers, amateurs and professionals alike, shoot landscapes in black and white when many people appreciate them in color? True, a landscape presented in color is a visual feast. But there is something about an amazing black and white landscape that draws us in, in many ways that color is not capable of doing.

  Great colored landscapes evoke immediate and momentary emotional impact. On the other hand, an outstanding black and white landscape can be so captivating that you want to look at the print again and again, each time discovering different details and perspective. Compared to colored prints, black and white landscapes have stronger emotional and aesthetic impact in the long run.

  You can capture color in shooting landscapes in color, but you get gradation and texture if you shoot them in black and white. What is more, black and white photography also captures how light plays with the river, field, sand, rocks, vegetation, etc. It shifts the attention on pattern, shading, form, and many other graphic concepts, giving the photo a unique quality with hue and tone.

  Tips

  Here are some quick easy tips on what to consider to come up with a perfect monochrome landscape:

  Light is perhaps the most important element of a black and white landscape. Make sure that the landscape has well defined shadows that greatly contrast with bright highlight.

  Make sure that clouds are not covering the sun, which is the source of light that makes the different levels of brightness and darkness.

  Pay attention to foreground details as this makes an excellent composition. You can direct the eyes of the viewers to your main subject by making the foreground interesting.

  It may be helpful to view a landscape not as a series of colors, but tones. You need a lot of  practice to learn this. But it is not difficult to learn that a clear blue sky will become a lifeless one toned gray area in black and white photography.

  Camera settings

  Many photographers recommend shooting landscapes in RAW format and then change the photo later to monochrome using RAW file editor. Then tweak in graphics programs. Few professional landscape photographers shoot their subjects with a monochrome camera setting to begin with. You can also underexpose your photos by 1 or 2 stops to prevent blowing out highlights.

  Filters

  Filters are very important in black and white landscape photography as sky can sometimes appear boring and lifeless. Filters help in separating colors that look the same once translated into black and white. For instance green and red look have similar tone once they are changed to monochrome. Graduated filters are also helpful to keep detail in the clouds and in the sky. Red filters darken the blue sky, producing intense mood and the most dramatic atmosphere. You can use blue filters for hazy or misty conditions. Yellow filters have the most natural and least dramatic. You will have to experiment with filters to achieve desired effects.

  Posted in Black and White Photography

  July 22nd, 2008 / No Comments

• Three Tips for B&W Photography

  Ever since the arrival of the “digital” SLR, people have been joining the photography bandwagon at a blinding rate. Now, you are able to switch between color and black and white photography. Here are just three important tips on black and white photography that you can immediately use when you’re doing your shooting.
  Shoot In RAW
  Most DSLRs right now are able to shoot in the RAW mode. This is probably one of the things that you need to get used to as a digital photographer. If your camera allows you to shoot in RAW mode, you should always shoot your black and white images in this particular mode simply because it allows for the most adjustments that you can do when you’re post-processing. Of course, you can still shoot the same type of shot even while using a JPEG but don’t be surprised if you find yourself being limited to the different tones and shadows that your JPEG picture offers you. It is really the best option for you to shoot in RAW however if you seriously just don’t want to have anything to do with the RAW file format, don’t whine about how good someone else’s photograph is even though it’s of the same subject. He might have post-processed it in RAW.
  Low ISO
  Because noise in black and white photographs are much, much more obvious, you might want to simply lower your ISO level even more. You should always think about whether you’re after this particular film-grain type of noise or not. However, in post-processing you would be able to add noise much easier than take it out. So, keep the noise down low by setting a low ISO speed.
  Shoot during cloudy days
  Because most of us have been used to shooting in color, we tend to complain about “bad weather” when the sun is not out. However, this is exactly the type of weather that one needs in order to shoot black and white photography. It is better for you to shoot during overcast, cloudy, no-sun-in-sight days rather than go on shutterclicking while the sun is out. So the next time that you find yourself looking at grey skies, whip out your camera and start shooting! You’ll be surprised at the type of image tones and hues you’ll be able to capture when shooting in this subdued light.
  So there you have it: some excellent suggestions that will definitely improve your black and white photography. You will be able to get more out the different black and white shots that you will be shooting and you’ll improve the quality of your images as a whole. Try your hand in black and white photography for a change and be sure to follow these suggestions.

  Posted in Black and White Photography

  September 19th, 2007 / No Comments