Create Powerful Black & White Images
I love capturing the golden light and brilliant colors while out Camera Walking, but some photos are more expressive in black and white. In fact, looking for subjects that are best in black and white is a great way to increase your creativity while out walking. Start your walk with black and white photos in mind. To capture the best photos, here are a few tips:
High contrast is best. Dark shadows and bright highlights are usually not great for color, but are terrific for black and white photos. While we were in Portland, Oregon a few years ago, I took this photo of one of Portland's many bridges mid-morning. In color it was not very interesting, so I processed it in black and white with Nik Software's Silver Efex Pro.
Shapes and patterns can make your photo. When taking photos, look past the color in the scene for patterns or shapes. Black and white photography gives you an opportunity to highlight the details that can sometimes be lost in a color photo. This Icelandic church ceiling needed to be in black and white to put more focus on the lines.
Details tell stories. Focusing on the lines and expressions in people's faces can make a powerful image. I took this photo while in Casper, Wyoming during an reenactment of a calvary ride. The sun was bright, so black and white was the perfect choice.
Black and white photos create impact. In my mind, the black and white photo below has more mystery and interest compared to the color image. I took this photo while participating in a CreativeLive workshop led by Rick Sammon a few years ago. It was my first experience working with models, and this young man was a great subject.
Post processing helps you get more creative. There are many options to use to process your black and white photos. If you use Lightroom, here is a useful tutorial on how to convert your images into black and white.
In addition, there are plugins such as Topaz Labs' B&W Effects; however I generally use Nik Software's Silver Efex Pro to process my black and white photos because of their Use U Point® technology. It allows me to selectively edit just the parts of my photos that I want. For example, adding color back in on the beak of this Icelandic swan.
Many of the camera apps we use on our phones have black and white filters. I took this with my iPhone using Instagram. It was a dull photo until I played with the black and white filter. Now I think it has more impact.
If you haven't taken advantage of making black and white photos while out Camera Walking, give it a try. It can help transform your normal walk into an exploration. When you are back home, experiment with processing your photos to create the image you saw in your mind's eye. It is not only fun, but it can enhance your creative expression.
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