black and white photography gives us a new way to see the world
but precisely because it's new, it's different, we are used to seeing colors
sometimes it might be hard to see, to find, to recognize black and white images in the field
in this video, I'm going to be sharing some tips, things I look for
and actions I take to create better monochrome images
black and white used to be the only option photographers had
today, it's a creative choice
it's a choice that I take every single day when I'm making images
because I love the creative freedom that black and white gives me
even though that choice can be delayed until after we take the shot,
I believe that the proper way to make black and white images is to think in black and white
to think in monochrome
from the very beginning
today, it's easier than ever to pre visualize a black and white image
I have a video where I explain how I have my camera set up in such a way
that I get the black and white preview on the screen
if you shoot film, you can still use technology in your favor
it's as simple as using your smartphone to preview what you are photographing without the colors
even though these are very useful tools, and I encourage you to use them
and take advantage of them as much as you can
the preview will never be 100% accurate
I always tweak my images in post to make them better show what I saw
so we still need to envision that final image
we need to see that final image when we are taking the photo in the field
so, these are some tips, things I look for when I'm out taking photos
and actions I take to make better black and white images
light
always follow the light, never fight it
light is key in all photography, but even more in black and white
you have to recognize when an image doesn't work in the current light conditions
and you have to look for the images that do work in whatever light you might have
take a look at this shed
we have the sun right in front of us
so if we make an image from here, that image is going to reveal
it's going to show all the details of this side of the structure
the story is very different from the other side
now, the sun is in front of us, so if we try to make an image from here
the structure is going to be much darker than it was from the other side
so even though we have features like a door on this side, if we try to show those details
we'd be fighting the light
the light is just wrong for that kind of image
we'd be better off by waiting until later today, in the afternoon or the evening
when the sun is in a different position, in the right position, to show those things
what we can do right now, though, is to embrace the light as it is
and to make an image with a dark structure
contrasting the sun and the trees that we have in the background
never fight the light, because you are always going to lose
go with it instead
low light
either at night, or my personal favorite, early in the morning
shooting in these conditions usually means using high ISO values, which can add a lot of noise
that noise can ruin your color photograph, but it can work just fine for a black and white image
not just work, but it could make for a very gritty, and moody one
that kind of images that doesn't leave anyone indifferent
there's also a great loss of detail in the dark areas
which makes everything else in the frame more
visible and clearer while still giving some context
night photography still requires some light
any artificial light will do
in nature, the moon can be a good source of light
keep in mind that the camera doesn't see the way that we see with our eyes
this is a mistake that many beginners make
because they think that a great subject will always
make for a great image, and that is not the case
you see, we have 2 eyes, that is 2 lenses, that can see at multiple apertures at the same time
they can perceive depth much better
and on top of that, we have a very powerful device interpreting all that data in real time
the result is that all of this can be very tricky for a photographer
because an object, a subject, can be very clear to our eyes
but it might be not clear enough once it's on an image
that is a stunning and beautiful tree, and I wish you could be here to see it with your own eyes
but my cameras is the only way to show it to you
the way I see this in person is very different
because my eyes and my brain work together to isolate that tree from everything else
to make it much simpler, so I can focus on that tree and nothing else
at first, I didn't even notice the bushes on the bottom of the tree
I didn't notice how close it was to the other trees
I didn't see the busy background
all of those things make this image much more challenging than it looked at first
this tree, even though it's not as beautiful as the other one, not even close
I think it makes for a much better image, because everything is much better here
the light, the location of the tree, the foreground, the background...
everything
you have to see beyond what your eyes and brain are telling you
find contrast
also called figure to ground
subjects that stand out in the frame always make for much better images
in color photography, we can use colors to separate the subject from the background
but in black and white imagery, we are
limited to just the contrast between the whites and the blacks
those trees back there are an example of a subject that is interesting, and it looks good
but it lacks the contrast because of the fog
they are way too far into the fog, so the image couldn't be as interesting
the opposite happens to this stick right here
which is a boring subject and it would've never worked if it wasn't because of the fog
but because we have this fog, now we can create that contrast
and even boring subjects like this one
are gonna work better than more interesting subjects like the trees that are in the background
now, I'm still gonna use the trees for this image
because I think they make the image even more interesting if we add both things
but you get my point:
even more important than finding a good, interesting, stunning subject
is to find one that has the contrast that makes it stand out
mystery
removing color creates ambiguity in the image
there's still some implied color, as our brain is desperately trying to fill in the gaps
and trying to assign colors to the things that the eyes are seeing
we can use that to play with the viewer and their imagination
images that make you stop and think about what you are looking at are some of my favorites
this can be done in color, of course
but the absence of that information can make this much more effective
as the brain tries to figure the image out
is the bison walking on sand or snow?
are these dunes or snowy hills?
is this an infrared photo or just frost?
how big is this pyramid?
these are questions with no answers
as it is up to the viewer to decide what the image is about
they need to use their imagination to fill those gaps
deep blacks and bright whites
I like a good contrast in almost all my images
I always try to include something very black, to the point of almost pure black
and something very bright, to the point for most pure white
cloudy days are great for this, as I can include the bright white sky on the top
and the black dark ground on the bottom of the frame
the subject will be somewhere in the middle
a sandwich of grays, between the bright whites and the dark blacks
the final image I envision here is one with a very bright top of the frame
because of the sky, of course
and a very dark bottom of the frame because of the foreground
and in the middle, just a bunch of shades of grey
now, there is no clear and strong subject here
but I think it's going to work
because that contrast is going to guide the viewer to the center of the frame
and there, they might realize about the power lines that disappear in the fog
it's a little bit more of a mysterious image, but I think that contrast makes it work
it edit
editability
datability
editability
anyway, black and white lets us be much more extreme in our treatment of the image in post
we can crush the blacks
we can blow out the highlights
we can use grain to add texture
we can greatly overexpose or underexpose the negative, and still have a compelling image
very few of these would work in color photography
I shoot in RAW
so that means that I still have all the color information
available to me when I'm editing my images
and I find that to be extremely useful
abstraction
make your images more abstract, more surreal, more subtle and gentle
we can add blur, or even have nothing in focus in the frame
this can work very well in black and white
as the lack of color only emphasizes that abstraction, making it more powerful
this is similar to creating mystery, but here we don't recognize any objects
we might have no idea what we are looking at
the result is, once again, up to the viewer
there is no right or wrong when it comes to guessing what was captured in the frame
it is totally up to whoever is looking
in the end, there is nothing like experience
take plenty of shots, edit them, play with them, find the limits of what you can do
so next time you'll better know what to expect from a scene
because the more we shoot in black and white, the better we get at it
and the better we become at seeing in black and white
I hope this video was useful and helpful, or at least entertaining
if you found it to be at least one of those things, please consider liking it
and subscribing to this channel
because it really helps a lot
thank you so much for watching, and see you in the next one!