The truth is black and white photography tends to be under-rated. When it`s used to create an impact with a shot, the resulting image can be amazing. Landscapes, portraits and even still life type shots can all benefit from an occasional switch over to black and white. Learning how to take full advantage of this digital photography technique, however, will take a little time.

This type of digital photography can be a little tricky to master, but since the cameras generally come equipped with monitors to instantly see results, the risk factor of walking away with a bad shot is minimized. Since pictures can be reviewed on the spot, anyone trying this digital photography technique will find they can see their pictures and make adjustments instantly if the shot isn`t quite what they`d hoped for.

To make the most of black and white pictures taken on a digital camera, there are several tips beginners can try. These tips do translate to regular film photography, as well.

See the shot

This is a very important technique for black and white digital photography and even color. It`s important to really pay attention to what the camera sees and shows before snapping the shot. In black and white digital photography, the monitor will likely switch over to black and white mode, which makes this even easier. Practice paying attention to the images as they are presented and make sure the image presented is the one you want before you shoot. If you learn to rely on the monitor or the view finder, you`ll know when more light is needed, when subjects need to be moved or even when it`s best if you move yourself.

Contrast is everything

Since black and white digital photography doesn`t rely on color to tell the story, the contrast of shades will need to be relied upon. This is one of the most important black and white shooting tips to learn. It is important to make sure subjects stand out even more so in black and white than in color. While a dark blue shirt might look awesome against a dark green setting in color, it will likely get lost in the shuffle in black and white.

Play with lighting

While that dark shirt and dark background can present problems in contrast, lighting can help fix the issue. The best way to master lighting for this type of digital photography is to play around and be willing to experiment to see what works and what doesn`t. Try using the black and white settings in all kinds of situations to really master what needs to be done under different circumstances to effectively light up a shot.

This is not an idle question, because in answering it we identify when to try taking a photograph in black-and-white – or more likely, to try taking the color out of a photograph after the fact using an image-editing program such as Photoshop.

The answer to the above question is that we would want to remove color from a photograph in order to simplify it; to get rid of distracting information so that we can concentrate better on something else. In this it’s no different from blurring the background of a portrait or from framing a photo in such a way that distracting elements are out of the frame.

So now we know the why, which has led us to the when, of black-and-white photography, let’s look at the three main situations where we might desaturate (i.e. remove color from) a photo:

In portraiture

In color, a close-up picture of a person reveals all kinds of distracting details of their face – blemishes, a red nose, uneven skin tones, and so on. Black-and-white photography strips out these details, and this makes it easier for the viewer to concentrate on what the photo reveals about the person’s life or personality, which is what portraiture is all about.

In abstract fine art photography

Color is very noticeable in a photo, and it generally trumps things like patterns or shapes. So another use for black-and-white is when a photographer wants to take a photo that is ‘about’ a pattern or shapes. This type of photograph comes up most often in what we might call ‘abstract fine art photography’, where there really isn’t a clear or recognizable subject for the photo.

Note that black-and-white photographs are generally more ‘tolerant’ of contrast, so fine art photographers will often strip out color from their photographs and then ramp up the contrast (again, using an image editing program).

Whenever the photo is more or less monochromatic anyway

This final category is something of a catchall. While the main use of black-and-white is to remove something distracting from a photo, it’s also a good idea to try converting a photo to black-and-white when the photo really has few bright colors anyway. Another way of looking this is to say that just as color is distracting, a washed-out lack of color is also somewhat distracting.

Black and white photography requires a different set of skills to colour, as the picture is formed purely from areas of light and shade. These days, black and white film is increasingly hard to come by, and unless you’re lucky enough to have a specialist lab near you, you’ll find the sort of machine processing they do at “one hour” photo places leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to processing black and white film.

Many modern digital cameras have a dedicated black and white mode, but mostly they just desaturate the picture and make it look washed out. It often works out better to shoot in colour and convert the picture in Photoshop.

Of course, the easiest way of making a colour photo black and white in Photoshop is to convert the mode to grayscale (Image > Mode > Grayscale), but this does limit your options if you want to enhance the picture later on.

In traditional black and white photography, coloured filters are sometimes placed over the lens to create a dramatic contrast. This is done because hues that seem quite different in real life (in colour) can merge into one shade of grey when seen in monochrome. The intensity of the colours are the same, even though the actual colours are different.

For example, a blue sky with white clouds can appear weak and washed out in a black and white photograph. If you place a red filter over the lens, it will darken the blue sky and make the white clouds stand out more. This is because the red filter blocks the blue colour waves more effectively than it does colours that are nearer to red.

The great thing about Photoshop is it enables you to experiment and get the effect just right. The method I find works best involves keeping the picture in RGB mode, and adjusting one of the colour channels.

If you go to the Layers palette, click the Channels tab, then click on (say) the Red channel, you’ll see an image that resembles a red filter over the lens of a camera with black and white film. The darkening of the blue tinted areas will make a moody, sophisticated image. For comparison, click on the Green channel and then the Blue. The results will be surprising — and very different!

I like to then fine tune the result by adjusting the Levels. Keep your chosen channel selected, and then go to Image > Adjustments > Levels, and adjust the sliders until you get the desired result. Then be sure to save the picture as a new file to preserve your original.

Incidentally, if you apply this process to two channels at the same time, you can get some pretty stunning colour effects too!

In black-and-white photography, this is rarely the case.

Despite the boom of color photography in advertising and in almost all forms of media, many photographers and photo enthusiasts remain loyal to the beauty of subjects in grayscale.

THE BEAUTY OF GRAYSCALE

In reality, black-and-white (b&w) photography didn’t lose its glory despite the dominance of color photography. Why? because its foundation leads back to great symbolic values in people’s culture like birth, wedding, death and other solemn events where the basic white and black are present. And in between, unlimited shades of gray continue to define the other realities.

Over the years, the certain abstract quality of b&w prints never fades to appeal to the senses of imagination and intellectual standpoint. The absence of hues and other shades of color let people unlock the mystery and appreciate the innate beauty in an ordinary scene.

Its “simplicity” also forces the audience to see things in a different light and urges them to concentrate on other aspects of the photo like composition, lighting, and the like.

A DOSE OF HISTORY

In the beginning, everything was black-and-white.

Before color photography invaded national magazines and newspapers, black-and-white photography dominated mainstream media. Being more convenient to use and produces better results compared early color film processing, b&w was safer to use. But with the resurgence of color photography—with the help of modern technology—more and more people craved for colored photos, making the photographers shoot almost everything in color.

B&w kept plummeting with the presence of film manufacturers who offered better color film and processing at lower prices. As a result, less and less b&w films were available in the market, making it more expensive and hard to find. This shift eventually led to the abrupt dropping of creating b&w images in the last the last 50 years.

BREATHING NEW LIFE

Most amateur photographers are being lured to colored photography because of its almost limitless possibilities. But as they become seasoned lens men, they go back to black-and-white photography because of its beauty and mystery.

Being part of the power of photography, a new life has been breathed into b&w today. Back in print advertising, b&w continues reinvent because it can now be manipulated digitally. In fact, more and more Internet sites create series designed to introduce the new generation of photographers to the possibilities of b&w photographs. These sites tell how great b&w photography is as a photographic medium as it reintroduces the photographers to the concepts of shadow, highlights detail, film, image contrast, exposure, and tonal range.

Tips in getting black & white photos:

1. Decide what to shoot in b&w that would emphasize the beauty of the subject.
2. Start learning how to convert color into gray tones.
3. Test your contrast and key skills by balancing major shade components.
4. Identify textures, lines, and shapes that would standout despite the absence of color.
5. Set the mood of your photograph by manipulating the lighting used.
6. If you’re a neophyte, take digital photos.
7. Try to test your skills using a black & white film to improve depth and character of the subject.
8. Look for local photofinishers that can print your photo in b&w photo papers.

Many, many years ago, Black and White Photography was the only option, and photographers became masters of the craft of using Black and White films. They learned their properties, found their favorites, and shot some stunning scenery on Black and White film. Development techniques were being perfected, and masters spent hours in the darkroom to produce tinted prints, sepia prints, platinum, selenium and other types of Black and White photographs. As color was introduced many things changed. Black and White only allowed you to use the many shades of gray to paint a scene, set a mood, and invoke an emotion. This required a tremendous amount of skill, patience, and a lot of time. Unfortunately, as we are moving further into the 21st century, those of us who understand the legacy, and hidden beautify and desirable properties of Black and White are becoming more and more rare.

Advantages of B&W when shooting portraits

Now, if you are wondering whether or not you should have your wedding, reception, or just a family photo shot in B&W, consider these advantages which B&W offer over color. Color Photographs typically do very well at reproducing imperfections in facial complexions. Small blotches, red spots, irritated skin, all very fine details find themselves in color photography. On the other hand, Black and White masks these small imperfections, in essence smoothing out skin tones, softening facial features, and hiding paleness, which some people possess. Because skin tones are rendered through shades of gray, there is less contrast between someone with light skin and someone with dark skin. The real magic of Black and White though is not revealing true age. Because wrinkles and other skin and hair imperfections are subdued, people’s true age is typically disguised. For years, this made B&W prime choice for Weddings, Receptions, and other formal events. Portraits are more flattering, and feel more natural when captured in B&W. When diffusion filters are used, portraits appear even softer and smoother in B&W.

To summarize, B&W offers the following:

* Hides skin tone imperfections

* Smooths skin tones, softens features

* Reduces contrast in skin tones

* Disguises true age

B&W is more forgiving of poor light

It is one thing to photograph a model in a studio, unfortunately wedding and most event photography is shot on location, with often little to no flexibility of controlling light. We all have seen stunning shots of brides and parties in wedding magazines, unfortunately these shots took hours to produce in the studio, where light is controlled precisely, and every aspect of the scene is monitored, and adjusted. This is simply not possible in real life, and most photographers will not spend enough time to make sure that every aspect of every shot is ideal. We cannot control whether, or light, and at times the sun, or indoor lighting simply does not want to play its part. B&W whether film or shot and converted digitally, is much more forgiving of this than color. You are more likely to get a good B&W image of a scene with less than ideal lighting than you would color.

If you are still unsure about having Black and White photographs in your wedding or other event album, or you think that Black and White belongs in the past, please consider just how flexible B&W photography really is, and try to discover the beautify of Black and White for yourself. It would be wrong to say that in Black and White photos there is absence of color. Colors are simply expressed through levels of Gray. Pure Blacks and Whites contribute to the beauty of the image. Blacks create strong shadows, and whites highlights. For dramatic scenes, Black and White is hard to beat. Contrast and Detail in Black and White photographs can often be much higher than in color, yet it is not distracting to the eye. Lastly, B&W photography has that timeless property. It reminds us of the days past, the simpler times, when minimalist living was most common. Remember, you do not need to have your photographs captured in B&W to get them printed in B&W. Good color photographs will convert to excellent B&W. Conversion process is unique to every photographer. Just be sure it is customized to your needs, and each photograph is handled individually.

Most photographers who use this are passionate hobbyists or professional photographers wanting to emphasize certain qualities of the picture. Contrast and contradiction can be inserted into the same frame with character and grab the attention of the beholder. In fact, this was the way it all started out in photography and today the monochromatic image is appreciated for its inherent and deep qualities.

Practice is important with black and white photography. The mind has to be trained to pick up tone and contrast while blocking out distractions of color. With time this will come naturally to you and the decision to optimize a photograph this way can be done with ease. The secret here is to make a conscious effort and things will fall into place. The learning process cannot be replaced by anything the experienced thus gained will be the only way to achieve success in this field.

In black and white photography the spectrum is clear. It is black on one end and white on the other with all the shaded in between. What should be optimized is what the human eye picks up as the intensity of color and intensity of light. Contrasting with these to fields is a great way to compose a black and white photograph. Although a naturally contrasting photograph is great you can use many Photoshop techniques to achieve a variety of distinct looks. Burning and dodging are also highly effective in this type of picture.

Textures can be highlighted in black and white photography and is another aspect of contrast itself. Sometimes this is represented so vividly that you can almost feel the texture by just looking at it.

Digital photographers should always shoot in color and then convert the picture to a black and white using photo editing software. It is amazing to see the difference in the same picture with color compared to the black and white image. It is only then you will realize the power of this medium.

There are certain times when a black and white photograph becomes absolutely necessary to convey the full import of the picture. Very often, photographs depicting powerful emotional moments and highly dramatic events will benefit with black and white photography. This is easy to understand when we view all those black and white holocaust pictures and compare them with pictures of present day war or disasters which are in color. So, never underestimate the power of the black and white medium and what it can do for your photography.

It’s important to note that black and white photography was the beginning of photography and holds a special place in many photographers’ hearts. This is one of the reasons why it has become a bit of a trendy thing to do nowadays. Basically beginner photographers are starting to take up black and white photography more often than normal photography. Why? Mainly because they are still able to use the most advanced, up to date cameras while creating amazing black and white photos.

The latest camera models have settings for black and white photography and some photo editing software enables photographers to change color photographs into black and white. Any of these methods can be used to achieve the classic black and white look that can impress any viewer.

The scope of black and white digital photography is not only about portraits and landscapes. There are thousand and one things that you can express with black and white photographs. So the next time you have the digital camera in hand, focus on abstract shoots. Treat black and white digital photography, as a mode to portray the world in a different light and you will never be short on potential photography subjects.

To start with your own black and white digital photography shots, you will not need extra effort and complications other than shooting as is. Take the shot in color then you can switch the setting of the digital image in an editor, using array of choices. If you are using Photoshop or Fireworks, you can change the whole image into black and white by editing “Hue and Saturation” or simply switching it to “grayscale” format.

Since black and white digital photography doesn’t rely on color to tell the story, the contrast of shades will need to be relied upon. This is one of the most important black and white shooting tips to learn. It is important to make sure subjects stand out even more so in black and white than in color. While a dark blue shirt might look awesome against a dark green setting in color, it will likely get lost in the shuffle in black and white.

While that dark shirt and dark background can present problems in contrast, lighting can help fix the issue. The best way to master lighting for this type of digital photography is to play around and be willing to experiment to see what works and what doesn’t. Try using the black and white settings in all kinds of situations to really master what needs to be done under different circumstances to effectively light up a shot.

Why not make money from your digital photography and get paid to submit your photos to the internet or start up your own photography business.

Remember a black and white picture of a single flower can be breathtaking.

Most images were produced in black and white for nearly a hundred years after the invention of photography, but now colour images have become commonplace. Creating strong three dimensional images on a piece of paper is one of the best attributes of black and white photography, as the effect can be more striking than with a colour photograph. Without the colour to distract us we become more aware of the subtle tones which can be found within a black and white image. In this article I will share the technique I use that will help you create beautiful, striking and moody black and white images from your colour photographs.

Digital cameras have a black and white mode but more information and detail will be recorded in colour, which will also create a higher quality printed image. This is why I always shoot in colour then convert images later. There are several ways of converting an image to black and white using Photoshop and many other image editing programs. You could simply desaturate the colours, but creating a black and white image with real tone and definition goes beyond this. Levels, curves and the Unsharp Mask can be used creatively with black and white conversion to provide further control over tones and contrast to create a stunning image.

Channel Mixer – I have found that using the Photoshop Channel Mixer is the easiest way to convert an image to black and white and produces the best results. The Channel Mixer allows you to control how much red, green and blue contribute to the final monochrome image.

The Channel Mixer can be selected from the adjustment layer popup menu in the layers palette or you can also access it from under the image menu.

Clicking on the left tick box entitled Monochrome will convert your photograph into a greyscale image, and gives you the ability to blend the red, green and blue channels. Adjust each of the sliders to produce an image to your liking. As a rule make sure that the total values for each channel adds up to 100%. This creates monochrome images that are the equivalent of ones shot on black and white film through red, green or blue filters. For example if you wanted to maximize cloud contrast in a blue sky, then a red filter would achieve this. I usually set the red channel to 0 and the green channel to 100 to cut down on the amount of noise, or sometimes a combination of red and green depending on the image.

Curves and Levels – Brightness and contrast can be adjusted in Photoshop by using the curves and levels tools, which can be found under Image > Adjustments Curves/Levels. Both curves and levels allow you to adjust the tonal range of an image. When using the levels command you can make adjustments to just three variables, highlights, shadows and midtones. I prefer to use curves as it gives you more precision. With curves you can adjust any point along a scale while keeping up to 15 other values constant. By adjusting the black point and white point in curves you can give your image more contrast. At opposite ends of the diagonal line you will find a small dot. When you grab hold one of the dots with your mouse and drag it around you will see the image change. To create more contrast drag the black point lower and the white point higher, so that either end of the diagonal line is curved. Practice using curves and levels and explore the different effects you can achieve with your images.

Unsharp Mask – The Unsharp Mask is my preferred tool for sharpening images, which can be found under Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask. It is a traditional film compositing technique used to sharpen edges in an image and corrects blurring. The Unsharp Mask locates pixels that differ from surrounding pixels by the threshold you specify and increases the pixels’ contrast by the amount you specify. In order to get the look which I desire in my images I use the Unsharp Mask twice. I begin by using a high radius and lower amount, such as a radius of 50 pixels and an amount of 30%. This gives the image a much more intense look and details will stand out. The second time I use a lower radius of 1 pixel with a higher amount of 30%, which will correct any blurring and sharpen the image.

Visit this page to view examples of images created using a combination of these techniques – Black and White Conversion Example Photos

Why still use black and white? If you have watched the controversial movie “Schindler’s List” (1993) by Steven Spielberg, it has been presented in the screens in black and white color. Critics were expressing dissatisfaction, and to some degree, one could think it is such a waste denying the audience of more than 1 million colors reduced to nothing but grayscale monochromatic theme.

Nowadays, black and white photography is directly proportional to vanity, because everyone desires colored output. In case of “Schindler’s List,” it was released on purpose as black and white, to give way to a dramatic impact for the setting of 1945 Nazi occupation. The effect of black and white reel, has added spice to the thematic goal of the director. The essence of using black and white is important for character shots.

The world is ironic and ridiculous at times, but we cannot simply take away black and white especially in the era of digital photography. We know all Graphic Arts editing applications, scanners, digital cameras, and other photography gadgets have grayscale options.

To start with your own black and white digital photography shots, you will not need extra effort and complications other than shooting as is. Take the shot in color then you can switch the setting of the digital image in an editor, using array of choices. If you are using Photoshop or Fireworks, you can change the whole image into black and white by editing “Hue and Saturation” or simply switching it to “grayscale” format.

Old photographs from developed films can be converted into digital images by scanning them. If you want a black and white portrait out of it, set your scanner into grayscale. The result is black and white photo.

Setting your digital camera into “evening shot” mode automatically converts the image as monochromatic. You can remove saturation to convert it to black and white. Digital camera works efficiently with a computer. You can do everything about it in full control—-that is if you are adept with the manipulation of the technical side of it. It will be quite expensive but worth the effort.

Technology is getting better and better, if you choose conventional effects, as long as you have the 360-degree options to enhance possibilities, then black and white digital photography is very simple to produce.

The fall of B & W
There was nothing going the way of B & W once color hit the markets. All but a few enthusiasts switched to color. As far as people’s mentality goes, a color TV is better than a black and white one, and the same applied to photographs. Once color film was introduced, black and white took the back seat. And once digital showed up, well that seemed like the last nail in the black and white coffin. Or did it?

The rise of B & W
In this modern day and age of digital cameras, scanners, desktop printers, super fast film and such, who would want to mess around in a black and white darkroom? Well, people who understand the rest of this article maybe. Did you know you could use color filters to create unique effects on black and white film? Yes! Try using a red filter and shoot an outdoor scene. the sky comes out almost black! Nothing else can give this effect. Photoshop ? No! Nothing can give quite the same effect as a color filter on black and white film. It is all about complimentary colors. Red, Blue and Green are primary colors that have opposites in the form of Cyan, Magenta and Yellow. As far the the dark sky example goes – here is what happens. The Red filter lets all light rays pass through it to the film except for its opposite or complimentary color cyan, which is what the sky is mostly made up of. So, you get a dark sky. If you wanted to make grass appear dark what would you do? You would use a color filter of the color opposite to green, or complimentary to green, which is yellow. Every single blade of grass would turn darker, while the rest of the image looks fine. Can you imagine the possibilities with using color filters on black and white? You can MAKE your photographs exactly as you want them to be, and no two photographers need shoot the same scene to make it look all the same. This is the charm of B & W that no one will ever be able to take away, computer or no computer!