Learning Black and White Photography Made Easy
 

 You can Make High Impact Black and White Photos, the simple way

Have you ever thought about learning black and white photography and how it could be so powerful and communicate so much, with so little?

 I’ve often thought about why this is true – I think it’s partly because the first photographers didn’t have the option of colour film, so they had to make sure that whatever they were photographing had impact for OTHER reasons. Such as shadow, pattern, light and angles. They set the standard for well composed, graphic and dramatic black and white photos.

 Because color wasn’t really a consideration in their images, they had to make sure that all the other elements were strong, like the design, the shadows and light, the interpretation, and the perspective. They know that learning black and white photography could elevate their photography to completely new levels.

 So, because many of the early photographic artists developed a keen eye for these details, we expect the same kind of impact, maybe more, in the black and white nature photography of today.

 Have you ever wanted to take photographs like that – that really make an impression? It’s not difficult or complex – with these straightforward black and white photography tips, you’ll be learning black and white photography that will demand attention and a little envy!

Learning black and white photography is not difficult, if you have all the information and tools in once place. And that place is HERE!

"OK, all that history stuff that makes sense," you say, "but why learn black and white photography when the wilderness is full of amazing and wild colors?" "The stunning sunsets, the rainbow hues of a prairie meadow all cry out to be captured in color, don’t they?"

 So just how can removing some of the most powerful aspects of a nature photograph make it better?

 Well, in many cases, making a black and white photo will be the ONLY choice to really tell your story in a dramatic way. And learning black and white photography is sometimes the most effective way to isolate and draw attention to your subject.

 Think about the awe you feel when you look at an Ansel Adams photograph. You can almost FEEL the crisp winter mountain air. If you look closely enough, you might just see your breath too, (as the image takes it away!)
 

Simplicity = Power

 It’s that kind of power you can achieve by learning black and white photography, and begin to take better nature photographs. You just need to know the secrets! Check out Imogen Cunningham's Imogen Cunningham’s amazing work to see how dramatic simplicity can be!

By removing color as one of our composition elements, we are left with fewer details to consider, and so our attention can focus on the other aspects of the shot. Scenes that work especially well in black and white photography are those that have strong patterns, textures, angles, tones, shadows and light perspectives.

 What we are left with really, is the graphic design of the scene. You can make absolutely dramatic images with just black and white, and a range of grays.

Knowing how to see past the color is a CRITICAL skill. See the links below to learn all the techniques to see like film sees and to capture those heart stopping scenes and share then with pride.

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the difference in the resulting tones is really visible. There is a reflection on the ball, some highlights, and of course, a shadow.

 You can clearly see that the ball is three dimensional, while the cut out is flat. The new tones add more information and more range to the photo.

 The range of shades of grey – the tones – have increased, resulting in a more dynamic photograph.

 In the first photo below, there is a narrow range of tones. The next one has a full range of tones, from light to dark. And the last one is a low-key photo with very dark tones.




How does each photo "feel?" Light, heavy, mysterious? And this bring us to the next most important reason for mastering shadows and light.

 Tonality and Mood – Achieving the Kind of Atmosphere you Want.

 In black and white photography shadows

Black and White Photography Shadows and Light – the Secret of Tonality

For landscapes in black and white photography shadows and light, along with contrast, create tones, or tonality, and they all have huge effects on the mood of your photograph.

 Of the critical black and white photography techniques, understanding the way colors translate into black and white tones is really important.

 To make sure you are not disappointed with your black and white landscape photography, you need to get a good grasp of this concept called "tonality," and how to master it using shadows and light.

What is Tonality?

 Think about a white ball on a white background and a circular piece of paper on the same background. If there is no directional lighting, there will be no shadows or highlights, and so there will be no visible difference in either object. There is no range of tones.

 Add some light, create some shadows and  and light can also play a huge role in creating MOOD. A photograph with dark tones creates a somber brooding scene, while a photo with light tones seems to be more delicate and upbeat.

 If you want to take a dark photo, with lots of shadows, you’ll need lots of light. Landscape photography in mid morning or late afternoon, under a sunny sky will create dramatic shadows, and if you underexpose your shot, (bracketing is always a good practice!), you can achieve very dramatic effects.

 For lighter photos, wait for a cloud or overcast day, when the light is more diffused, which reduces shadows. Fog, mist and rain are all good candidates for light toned images because of the lack of shadows.

 So, by understanding and controlling tonality, your black and white photography, shadows and light, will dramatically improve and you'll be impressing everyone, with your newly found photographer skills!

Here are the Best Black and White Landscape Photography Techniques to improve your photos

A yellow field of corn and the contrasting green of the surrounding fields will look dynamic against a stark blue sky, when we see it in color.

In black and white landscape photography, the colors will all “melt” into similar shades of grey, and your drama will be lost.

 This is what I mean when I say don’t forget about color! Learn how color translates to black and white, and be aware of the tones and shades in your composition, so your final photograph will reflect the drama of the original scene.

Here’s another example:

If you're like most people, you'll like the color one better - a black and white sunset of this kind, doesn't add anything to the scene.

 So thinking about color, and choosing the right subjects for your black and white landscape photography will help you take better photographs guaranteed!

Follow these links for MORE black and white landscape photography techniques!

1) Shadows and Light, Secrets of Tonality

 

2) Composition for Black and White Landscapes

3) Contrast Consideration

4) Adding Depth to Landscapes – the Magic of Depth of Field

5) Special Techniques for Digital Black and White Landscape Photography

This article was reprinted with permission from Alexandra Morrison, who is a professional nature photographer, digital artist and publisher of  the Nature-Photography-Central web site.