Bite Size Tips: 5 Ideas For Better Black and White Photography

Black and white photography is tough to do well, but the results can stop people in their tracks.

Capturing a powerful image though takes a bit of thought.

Here are a few tips to capture some amazing black and white images. Keep in mind, always shoot RAW.

1. Look for contrast: Make sure you have contrast in your image, from the brightest white to the darkest black, if not your image may look less interesting and lose impact. Images with more contrast are likely to add more interest to the viewer and also keeps their attention span longer.
2. Look out for shadows and textures: Carefully choose to photograph images that have shadows and textures and make sure that you shoot from an angle or direction from which the textures are illuminated from a side so that they create a sense of depth with the shadows created. This also helps add more drama to the image.
3. Look for tonal range: If you are wondering what tonal range means, it is having areas of varying tones of grey, very similar to having various colours in a colour photograph. This helps add interest to the picture.
4. Look for patterns: Patterns can look very interesting in a black and white image, because it lets the viewer focus on the pattern without distracting them from any colours. Use this as an advantage to make some compelling images.
5. Try HDR: Not many photographers try HDR in black and white. Try it, and it sure can create brilliant images because of the higher dynamic range.

Each one of these ideas can be turned into a specific project, so get out a shoot and work your way through each one!

These tips should get you a few more interesting shots in black and white. However, if you really want to put the accelerator down on your BW photography skills, then consider checking out Kent Dufault's guide – “Better Black and White”