The Art Of Black And White Photography

2012-01-23T02:57:00.000-08:00

The times when photography had just come into being it was essentially monochrome. Later, with advance in technology colors came into ‘picture’. Today the whole world of photography is dominated by color.

Some decades ago monochrome photos were completely out and photography was mainly colored. But black-n-white photos came back into the limelight. A lot of photographers consider it as the purest form of photography.

So why did it come back? What is so special about this black-n white photography that we missed it dearly and brought it back?

In this article, I will present you with my views on the beauty of monochrome photography and why it is loved so much by modern photographers.

Colors are a Distraction

Black and white photography is treated as the "deprived version" of color Photography. Why would anyone limit their imagination to a mere combination of black and white when he has a wide range of colors to choose from? But the fact is that black-n-white photos can time and again look more startling and appealing then colored photos.

Colors can add to distractions and viewers don’t focus on the areas where a photographer’s imagination wants them to. Hence removing colors can help build this focus and captivate the imagination of the onlookers.

When you remove color from an image you can no longer rely on it to provide significance or a crucial point in an image. Even with it color photos don’t last long in the memory but black-n-white images do.

Shape, Form and Contrast

What is of utmost importance in black and white images is the shape and form that are depicted. So while clicking, the photographer’s attention shifts from colors and he is more concerned with the angle and shape that will ultimately be seen in the image.

Another major aspect of monochrome photos is the contrast that is seen vividly. This contrast cannot be achieved so successfully in a colored image. We can use this contrast as a focal point in an image or photo. Apart from such tones in images certain patterns can be captured beautifully using shades of black and white only.

Lighting

Lighting is the heart of photography. The word photography derives from the ancient Greek for ‘painting with light’. In black and white photography it affects all of the above elements - shape, contrast, pattern and texture.

Side lighting frequently helps produce the most impressive black and white images. It highlights the edges in the image and increases contrast by adding highlights, and the shadows it creates add interest to the scene as well as enhancing textures and patterns.

K.I.S.S.

You may be familiar with the KISS principle which is - Keep It Simple, Silly. Cluttering a black and white photo with too much minutia will defy the very purpose of back and white photography. Keep it simple and limit the focus to a single well defined subject.

Black and white photography is an entire subject in itself and covering it in a single post is like trying to capture an ocean in a single pic. Also, these are only an amateur’s views on the art of black and white photography.

Here is a post on getting started with black and white photography that is a pretty good starting point for photography beginners.

Would love to hear your views on my post. You can also share your own black and white photography tips in the comments.

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2012-01-23T00:03:00.000-08:00

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The Art Of Black And White Photography

Make Way For CollegeBeat: A College Lifestyle Magazine