Photography Tips: Black and White Photography

There is a certain nostalgia about black and white images. Some of it comes from the memories of old photographs, the nostalgia of early black and white television too. Black and white – or monochrome – images are very effective at emphasizing shapes and tones of a subject as well as light and dark. These photographs can produce a strong image from a subject that might otherwise look weaker if the photograph were in colour.

Practice with different subjects

As you venture into black and white, you may find the subjects you are drawn to are different than in colour. Embrace this path. Step out of your comfort zone and experiment with a diverse range of subjects. Concentrate particularly on three fundamental elements: contrast, texture and lighting.

Black and white photography heavily emphasizes the contrast between light and dark, as these are the main focus of a photo void of colour. Texture can include patterns, reflections or shadows that breathe more contrast. Lighting remains a crucial component in any photography style, especially in black and white. It projects a spectrum of gray shades that helps create a unique and distinct image.

While it's not mandatory for every black and white photo to incorporate each of these elements, understanding and recognizing them can significantly aid in identifying the perfect scenes for breathtaking photographs.

Winter landscapes

Canadian winters are well suited for black and white photography as there is often very little colour in a scene, which can render images that are dull and boring. But cheer up! If you don’t have to think about colour, you can concentrate on shapes and contrast objects such as leafless trees, stone walls and buildings instead. Use this time of year and style of photography to concentrate on improving your composition skills, as they become the key elements of a black and white image.

Embrace long exposure

If a photo captures a moment in time, a long exposure can capture many moments in one image. You can accomplish this by reducing your shutter speed to greater than one second. By doing so, you can effectively add motion blur to your subject, which can be particularly striking in black and white photography.

Long exposures create unique photos for so-called busier scenes, like falling snow or rain, moving water, and bustling foot and vehicle traffic. Use a tripod to ensure that the camera is held steady and adjust your ISO and aperture settings accordingly. Generally, a small aperture (the opening that allows light to hit the camera’s sensor) and low ISO (or light sensitivity) are preferred to avoid digital noise and over-exposure. Patience is key – take your time to perfect your settings and give your camera the time it needs to capture the exquisite details that long exposure photography can offer.

Rule of thirds

With no colour to distract the eye, the rule of thirds becomes especially useful in black and white photography. Imagine a grid drawn in the camera viewfinder – two vertical lines and two horizontal ones creating four intersections. This technique produces much stronger compositions than shooting your subjects in the centre of the frame.

Perspective control

Another composition style to think about is a receding perspective. You can see this if you take a photograph looking down a road, along railway tracks or, in this case, down a set of stairs. The lines of the image appear to converge, even though we know they are parallel. The eye is automatically attracted to these lines and drawn into the image.

Your EOS camera has a monochrome mode built in so you can shoot black and white images directly – or with photo software, it’s easy to remove the colour from an image after it has been downloaded to your computer.

Portraits

Black and white photography works very well with portraits. This might be because many iconic portraits from the last hundred years are monochrome, but it’s also because when the colour is stripped away, it leaves us with only the character and personality of the people within the image – or that moment in time. Adding side lighting can be particularly effective as it gives strong contrast between highlights and shadows.

Emphasize emotion

Emotion in photography isn't exclusive to portraits or images with people. In black and white photography, emphasizing emotion adds a layer of psychological depth to an image in the absence of colour. For portrait photography, accentuate emotion by focusing on the eyes. Give them something to do and allow that task to be completed without interruption.

For shots sans people, select scenes with inherent emotional resonance that can evoke feelings of happiness or sadness with just a glance. The weather is a powerful element for conveying emotion – the melancholy evoked by a rainy day, for instance. Additionally, consider abstract concepts, like juxtaposing the new with the old. Once you’ve settled on a subject, choose a perspective and exclude elements from the frame that might detract from the focal point. Return to the scene on a different day and examine how the feeling has changed. This comparison between the 'then' and 'now' in images will further enhance your understanding and skill in capturing emotion in black and white photography.

Urban landscapes

Architectural photographs are often shot in monochrome to emphasize the shape of the buildings. It’s good to take these shots early in the morning to avoid the distractions of traffic and people, but also to take advantage of sunlight while it’s low in the sky. The light gives long shadows and can produce attractive texture when it falls on rough stone or concrete.

Look for patterns

Your camera captures what you see and translates it into a photo. In black and white photography, thinking of the world around you only in monochrome can be helpful but also a bit of a challenge when selecting the right imagery. Consider the basics, or fundamentals, of what draws the eye. Patterns, no matter their colour, extent or representation, translate well in black and white because nothing is lost in translation.

Combine complexity with simplicity, integrating dark details with ample white space for a balanced composition. Avoid overcrowding the frame. Be mindful of your perspective and direct the viewer's eye intentionally. Highlight leading lines and geometric shapes to add structure to your images.

In city centres, observe buildings with a new perspective, paying attention to the architectural patterns and design that hold them in place. The positioning of the sun may also create unique patterns and shadows, adding depth and dimension to your photographs. Such patterns, created by light, can breathe life and intrigue into your black and white photos, showcasing the world's beauty in shades of gray.

The importance of colour?

In black and white film photography, coloured filters were often used to change the tone of an image. Red filters, for example, absorb blue light, making skies appear darker and moodier in the image as well as increasing the contrast between any white clouds and the blue sky. Your EOS camera has these filters built in! Look under the monochrome setting in your Picture Styles and you will be able to select yellow, orange, red and green filters that simulate having an actual coloured filter on the end of your lens while still shooting in black and white! Further – in the same menu, you will find the toning effect that can be changed between Sepia, Purple, Blue and Green to create colour/monochrome images for a unique style your friends and family will love!

Photography Tips

Landscapes

Landscape photography is the most common type of photography today. By looking into a few key elements, you can distinguish your photography from the masses and create your own view.

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