5 Black and White Photography Tips
Continuing the Black and White Photography theme we’ve been on lately in the latest forum assignment (where the photos featured in this post were submitted) I thought I’d share five pretty random Black and White Photography Tips.
1. Shoot in RAW
I know many readers of DPS can’t shoot in RAW (because their camera doesn’t offer it) or don’t shoot in RAW (because they either don’t know how or don’t like to) but for the most control in the post production phase of converting your color images into black and white ones – you’ll want to shoot in RAW if your camera does allow it. Of course shooting in JPEG doesn’t stop you shooting in black and white – but if it’s an option, give RAW a go, you might be surprised by what it offers you in post production. More on RAW vs JPEG here.
2. Shoot in Color
If your camera doesn’t allow you to shoot in RAW (or you choose not to) – shoot in color and do your conversion to black and white later on your computer.
While most digital cameras offer you the option to shoot in Black and White (and can produce some reasonable results) you have more control over your end results if you have the color data to work with in your conversion on your computer. (read more on the choice between shooting in black and white or post production conversion).
Update: There is an exception to shooting in Color and it’s when you’re taking note of point 1 above (shooting in RAW). When shooting in RAW and switching to Black and White mode you see your results in the LCD in black and white but the camera actually records all of the information (including color) – the best of both worlds. But if you’re shooting in JPEG – shoot in color and do the conversion later. Thanks to Joost (in comments) for the reminder to include this.
3. Low ISO
Shoot with the lowest possible ISO possible. While this is something that most of us do in color photography it is particularly important when it comes to black and white where noise created by ISO can become even more obvious. If you’re after this ‘noise’ (or grain) you can always add it later in your post production – but it’s harder to go the other way and take noise out.
4. When to Shoot
Many digital photographers actually prefer to shoot images for Black and White in low contrast situations. So an dark or overcast day can be a great time to shoot out door shots.
Ironically these are the days that those who shoot only in color sit at home complaining about the ‘poor light’. So next time you find yourself with a dark and gloomy day – shoot some black and white shots.
5. Composition
Most of the general tips on how to compose or frame a good shot apply just as well to black and white photography as they do when shooting in color – however the main obvious difference is that you’re unable to use color to lead the eye into or around your shot. This means you need to train yourself to look at shapes, tones and textures in your frame as points of interest. Pay particularly attention to shadows and highlights which will become a feature of your shot.
Read more on Black and White Photography at Key Ingredients for Black and White Photography.
63 Responses to “5 Black and White Photography Tips” - Add Yours
February 21st, 2007 at 5:54 am
A tip when shooting raw: Do shoot in black and white. This way you can check the results in black and white on your LCD, and back at your computer you’ve still got all colour information in the raw file. (Check before going out all day though)
February 21st, 2007 at 7:08 am
Great article!
Some good pointers for shooting in RAW. It’s important to experiment and expand your skills with photography.
Thanks.
February 21st, 2007 at 7:23 am
Good points. The “shoot in color” tip is key, but the “low ISO” is also very important. Post processing into black and white can really bring out the noise, especially when you’re pulling out more of the red or blue tones rather than greens.
February 21st, 2007 at 7:59 am
In my experience, noise is more of a problem when shooting in color, especially in low light situations. I often find myself converting high ISO images to B&W and greatly reducing the perceived noise level. Now I don’t know if I’m particularly sensitive to luminance noise, or if my camera (my trusted Canon 10D) is particularly good at producing it, but I’d say noise is generally more pleasant in black and white.
February 21st, 2007 at 8:28 am
Thanks for the article. I’ve always tried to shoot in color and convert to black and white later. However, a while ago I was shooting in low light conditions and the color shots were not coming out very sharp. In my camera, I changed to shooting in black and white and the shots came out much sharper. Is there any advantage to shooting in black and white in terms of the ability to shoot in low light conditions? Is there something else that explains the differences in sharpness that I observed?
February 21st, 2007 at 12:19 pm
I don’t know how many poorly-lit color photos I’ve “saved” by converting to B/W.
February 21st, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Another “amen” for the tip to shoot in color (or at least in RAW so you have the color data available) even when your final intent is b&w. You never know when you may look at a photo later and decide that the color version is actually better for the final piece. I shot a photo in a “chair” situation like the veteran above, and when I looked at it later in post-production the sea of chairs (blue in this case) was so stunning it made the photo fantastic.
February 21st, 2007 at 5:57 pm
love the black and white pictures. pity that i can’t shoot in raw. the others, i think i can practise it using my point and shoot cam.
February 22nd, 2007 at 1:02 pm
I agree you can save alot of photos when there converted to B&W, but also your printing equitment is very important. I use http://www.expressphoto.com.au , they produce good prints & there reasonable in there pricing.
February 23rd, 2007 at 10:17 am
With lower-end point & shoot cameras, B&W or sepia mode can often capture a more pleasing range of tones and especially ambient light than color mode does.
March 6th, 2007 at 2:33 am
I am as Raw as they come. No photo skills or experience. However I do have some ideas for b&w cowboy shots. I’m just learning and hope to progress. If you have any basic staring point please share. Thanks
March 10th, 2007 at 5:34 am
I’ve always seem importing raws as way more of a headache, maybe I should re-examine the way I do it with my digital rebel xt.
March 10th, 2007 at 6:02 am
A point should be made that if you shoot in color and then convert to BW (in Photoshop), don’t use Image > Mode > Grayscale, or worse, Hue/Saturation. Use Image > Calculations and play around with the channels and settings. You’ll get a much more dramatic effect.
March 10th, 2007 at 6:55 am
? What was wrong with my tip? It’s certainly much better than changing modes. jeez
March 10th, 2007 at 10:36 am
Great tips, I wish you had mentioned more on aperture because I’m clueless on how to get great shots like that.
March 10th, 2007 at 11:36 am
Yeah I second what Aaron about Photoshop–>Greyscale. Well maybe I just need to be taking photos that are more black and white friendly but it tends to look terrible. Someone told me that in CS3 there are some better B&W tools, but I don’t know if this is true or not. Anyone confirm this?
—
John
http://www.monomachines.com
March 18th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
good article
April 20th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
I shot in Raw for the first time last week.
The files are huge,there’s not a huge difference in the end result,and when you bring them up on the windows picture viewer, they are tiny.
Jpegs are really not bad.
May 18th, 2007 at 1:28 am
I shoot RAW, then convert it BW using Google Picasa.
August 6th, 2007 at 5:27 am
i’m confused.. what is shooting in the raw?
I”m new at digital and have a cannon rebel with
LOTS to learn
August 7th, 2007 at 10:45 am
For most of the photography I do, I prefer to shoot RAW..Not because I need it for the immediate need, but just knowing I have the best file format in the can is comforting. As noted by other posters, the large file sizes do take additional RAM. I have to believe that a new file format is in the works that utilizes the best of both world.
September 4th, 2007 at 6:28 am
great tips.
i always shooting in RAW [EOS 20D].
using EOS DSLR, i have no problem with ISO, sometimes i need to set ISO up to 800 and still get great results, and process the file with C-1-pro RAW converter, it works great for me.
cheers.
September 12th, 2007 at 3:18 am
I’m new to B/W and I’m trying to figure out exactly what makes a great black and white photo. It’s the old ‘I know one when I see one’ but I’m trying to figure out exactly what it is that makes some B/W’s so incredible. Some older photos using the film process and dark room technology seem to ‘glow’ somehow. Is this possible using digital cameras? If anybody has any ideas, I’d love to hear ‘em.
September 26th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
In response to Jodz:
I’ve heard that it is always important to use the rule of thirds, which is where you would divide the photograph into hree sections vertically and three sections horizontally. Where the lines match up in the corners is where at either of the four points the focal point of the picture should be.
November 28th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
I have to say i don’t agree with the above fact that color shots should be shot on sunny days and black and white on overcast days. I believe the quality of light in black and white is highly stylistic and aesthetic. Some people like that ‘glow’ in black in white which is often achieved on bright sunny days. Others like even tones of white, grey and black in their black and white photographs in which overcast days are suitable. Also i find that colors tend to become washed out by the harsh light on sunny days where as on a grey day colors seem to pop. Does anyone agree?
December 13th, 2007 at 3:15 am
It’s worth remembering that these are just tips and not hard and fast rules that must be obeyed. I think they’re designed to help people progress from only going out on sunny days with the camera set to B&W mode, and are good points that anyone starting out in B&W digital photography can benefit from as they’re not obvious to start with.
The rule of thirds is also a guidline and is based on the ‘golden mean’ which is a ratio humans seem to find naturally pleasing, but i’ve seen fantastic photos where the focal point is bang in the middle of the photo.
As for the ‘glow’, that’s something we all strive to acheive and only comes when all elements of photography, from the photographer to the paper used to print, are working well and in harmony with one another. There’s no easy route to acheiving this, just keep improving and progressing and one day you may well get there. I haven’t yet, but i’m trying!
January 5th, 2008 at 7:50 am
Good article!
shoot images for Black and White in low contrast situations… good point.
January 11th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Great tips! Thanks for taking the time to point these out.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Agree RAW is better, but as mentioned takes more time on the computer. Interesting comments. Grayscale is not suitable for making great B&W prints. I use Paint Shop Pro 9 and use Layers/New Adustment/Channel Mixer.
May 7th, 2008 at 9:47 am
I think that shooting in low ISO is not that important when photographing in black and white because I normally add grain to my pictures anyway to give it that “feel.” As an Orange County Wedding Photographer, I use that style frequently in a lot of my pictures!
However, I agree with your other suggestions. :-)
May 14th, 2008 at 12:19 am
Photography is the best when it has a storytelling.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:30 am
I own a 30d for quick stuff, but shoot almost everything with my 35mm, 6X7, 4X5, or 8X10, in that order, depending on how much time I have.
I especially love the medium format, and have fallen hard for the FP4 and PanF films.
I’ve tried to duplicate the tonality, etc with the 30d, and have had some success, but overall, I still prefer film.
I’m very good with Photoshop, for manipulating others images, and assume that at some point I will have to make the investment of time to become proficient in getting exactly what I was shooting for.
June 1st, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Dear everyone
I have to say quite simply that the subject matter overides the technical jargon anyday.
You always have the most boring photos that are “technically correct”–in your limited opinion, and then you have the photographs that people want to return to and enjoy again and again–the ones that aren’t quite so technical in your not quite, yet self imposed expertise opinion.
The public laugh at you, and realise now that in these days you shall not pull the wool over the more intelligent and brighter eyes among us.
Keith Steadman from England–print this damn thing if you have the gutzo to do so.
June 1st, 2008 at 2:42 pm
No doubt my previous comment will be ommited, only because you pompous fools with your asses up you own backsides are afraid.
Which one of you mutts has got the guts to admit to what a stinking lowlife racket you are in.
I like photography, but I hate bullxxxxxxrs who tell the public what is good/right and not/wrong.
Get a sense of reality, and remember that every penny you spend is probably stolen in some way or another–think about it big shots.
Keith Steadman
this comment was edited for language
June 1st, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Keith – we welcome diversity of opinion here at DPS however I would ask you two things:
1. please keep your language at a level that is appropriate. This site is read by people young and old and from a variety of backgrounds and I’d appreciate you keeping things civil and respectful. Yes – do express your opinion but please do it in a way that isn’t aggressive – you’ll have a lot better chance of convincing others if you do.
2. I’d ask you to say something constructive. Again – do feel free to express your opinion but I look at your comments and wonder what you’re trying to say? ie – how would you improve this post? what advice would you add?
June 3rd, 2008 at 9:44 am
Dear everyone
I apologise for my ridiculous and rude comments. They were totally out of order and unfair, and now I wish they could be deleted.
It seems I’m the one with the problem.
Once again, please accept my sincere apologies, and good luck with all of your forthcoming photographic endevours.
Keith Steadman
June 4th, 2008 at 7:28 am
Hi – i enjoy reading your stuff. I’m confused tho. I thought greyscale was different than b/w. Also, does taking the original photo in colour allow more room for channel mixing? Are there any simple guides to channel mixing for the newbie?
Also, what is the difference between filters and channels? Are there filters on cameras? or do you have to use filters in photoshop?
thanks..kayindenver
July 1st, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Definately shoot in color! Then there are so many ways you can re-work it in b/w.
July 13th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
I love Black and white for very soft images, add some grain in photoshop and it can save a blurry images.
September 25th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Maybe I should start shooting b/w pics in raw. I didn’t realize it made that much of a difference.
November 2nd, 2008 at 9:14 am
Great article and excellent advice to always capture images in the best possible quality possible.
December 14th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
The difference between RAW (or TIFF or jpg2000) and jpg is that RAW saves all of the data. jpg compresses and discards some data. There are a number of ways to obtain grey scale images from color. Any good software will have an RGB and an HSI choice for adjusting your color image. Play around with the monochrome red, green, blue and intensity images. They will all be different. It’s cheap – just a few electrons. For example, a blue object in a monochrome red image will be very dark. Usually, the green or intensity image give the best results. After all, half of the pixels in your digital camera are green (as is most of the world). Now when I want really great B&W images I reach for my totally manual 1946 TLR Rolleiflex and some nice slow film.
December 20th, 2008 at 1:12 am
Great photos. I do like black and white photos. Perhaps when I go back to OH for the holiday, I’ll take a few photos with my niece’s camera and see how they turn out.
December 25th, 2008 at 12:24 am
What rubbish, firstly shooting in RAW is only of use if you want to fiddle around alot in Photoshop or you dont have the skills to capture the image you want at the time.
Taking Photos in colour and conversting, pointless, just choose the shots you want in black and white have a reason and a purpose…
Using a low ISO, this is not a tip, simply use the ISO that is relevant for the situation whether you want a grainy image for effect or if you are in a low light situation adjust the ISO to suit.
December 25th, 2008 at 2:40 am
Ian,thanks for your comments. I must admit, I am from a scientific imaging background. We used 12=bit and 16-bit monochrome camera usually cooled to -30 to -80 degrees C. Try grey scale readings were acqurate to usually +/- 2. Such a pixel might read 54,927 +/- 2 grey scale levels. These images were always saved in uncompressed TIFF Formate, so no brightness data was lost. When you have 4096 or 65,536 grey levels, you have a lot of wiggle room to make an asthetically pleasing or illustritive image in Photoshop. Is is easy to rescale these images in Photoshop rescale command.
Second point: It is really easy to segment purple and pink (H&E stained slide) images by looking at the red or blue image. The monochrome images was just a mush of grey. It really helped to increase comtrast.
The low ISO tip was a litle in jest. If the F-64 club still existed (Adams, Westen, et. al., I would be a member. I almost got a devorce over taking very high res pictures of dead trees with my Rolleiflex with ISO 100 film.
Thanks for your comments,
Rolleiflex_David
December 30th, 2008 at 4:51 am
Another set of great tips by DPS. We do wedding photography and I find the black and white can really distinguish photos in a way no other effects can.
January 15th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
use yellow filter for outdoor b&w pictures and see the differances of cloud, sky and shadows.
January 17th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
I can’t remember when the last time I photographed by BAW photos, I have afew of my friends BAW photos and will make it a collection.
Thanks for your great article and excellent advice.
Bye
January 30th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Ian sounds angry. Just a thought.
January 30th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Great tips! I don’t often shoot in B&W but do like the effects. RAW is a different world compared to JPG but not much more complicated if you use the camera software to start. The quality is worth the small learning curve to shoot in RAW. DSLRs make it so much easier to play with and learn the different effects filters can create and other available in camera setting too. Thanks for the great refresher on B&W, I know what I’m doing this weekend.
January 30th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Very informative as an instructional post. Would like to receive more of such articles regularly
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Nice to know there are still many people who love shooting black and white. Learned also a new thing today because of Joost van der Borg’s comment/tip to shoot in raw and black and white. Didn’t know one could do that. I always shoot in raw and color and process the images in Photoshop. Would definitely try it. Thanks!
March 25th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Haha ^^ nice, is there a section to follow the RSS feed
April 6th, 2009 at 3:17 am
thanks for the b&w tips! i’m a beginner at all this stuff, so what does RAW and ISO stand for? :)
May 9th, 2009 at 2:10 am
I use JPG+RAW mode. I think that is a great option.
May 19th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
While I agree with most of these tips, I have to disagree with shooting with low ISO. High ISO may add some grain, but it makes the image feel more like film. Also, low ISO is impractical, especially for street photography and event photography (such as weddings).
June 25th, 2009 at 3:38 am
USA 2009 B&W http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcusrevertegat/sets/72157619390872360/show/
June 29th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
I HAVE A LONG EXPERIENCE IN BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY EVEN IN MAKING HIGH CONTRAST DEVELOPERS MYSELF.SINCE DIGITAL, I COULD NOT REACH A PHOTOGRAPH WITH HIGH BLACK DENSITY.ONCE I HAVE BEEN TOLD TO TAKE PHOYO IN COLOR THEN ON PHOTOSOP MAKE IT BLACK&WHITE. STILL I HAVE SAME PROBLEM.
COULD YOU HELP?
RAGARDS
FARHAD
August 21st, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Great article and tips, thanks! :)
September 19th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
As a working professional I tend to shoot each image in both RAW and fine Jpeg, Pro Cameras give the option to shoot each image in both. I run 16GB cards which allow me to fit around 400-500 images this usaually is fine during a wedding shoot. I mostly use the Jpeg images in post processing if they are correctly exposed these will usually be fine and much easier to work with rather than the larger Nikon nef or RAW image files, but as a fallback I have the RAW file if in case of difficult lighting – over or under exposure.
I find this works best for me most of the images on my website if not all are taken in JPEG.
Prophoto home page
September 23rd, 2009 at 2:03 am
hey! these are really great i enjoyed reading bout them and as well looking at them . hope to see some more in the future ! =-) Rori .
October 15th, 2009 at 5:46 am
Great black and white photography tips! Thanks for the article.
November 13th, 2009 at 3:28 am
What I tend to use when I want b&w pictures is to shot in colour and use gimp to split the RGB channels. I don’t know why but I mostly keep the red one. That as a first try, before trying grayscale conversion.
On some b&w shots I’ve found interesting the effect of adding some brightness and to put the “constrast” a few steps (bigger value) after the brightness.
Give it a try.
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