What Makes a Good Black and White (b&w) Photo?
What makes a good b&w photo?
Contrast.
There are essentially three states of contrast in b&w photos:
A high contrast photo is primarily black and white with little gray. If you shoot when the sun is high, for example, at noon, you will get a high contrast shot.
Photo by Eric Pouchin. Used with permission. You can see Eric’s Instagram gallery at @pouchinov.
A normal contrast photo has a balance of black, white and gray.
Photo by Neil Goodwin. Used with permission. You can see Neil’s Instagram gallery at @drneilgoodwin and on his website at www.neilgoodwinphotography.com.
A low contrast photo is grayish, grainy and flat. These shots can come as a consequence of shooting on a cloudy day.
This is a perfect example of a low contrast shot that does not make a good b&w.
When looking at a photo, the eye is drawn to color, bright areas and contrast. Because of the absence of color in a b&w photo, there has to be a balance of shadows and highlights, which means you need either a high contrast or normal contrast photo.
The goal is to have a clean black and a clean white, because otherwise your picture is muddy.
Tone
You need a wide tonal range to produce good contrast. This helps your eyes see things in an image that would normally be identified by color.
Colors can have the same tones. You have to learn how color recorded by the camera will convert to shades of gray.
Patterns
Look for patterns. The presence of color tends to distract us from seeing patterns. In b&w they are easier to see and they have added importance because they can make up for the interest that is lost when color is removed from the composition.
Texture
Texture also helps make a b&w image more interesting. Even more important is that texture can add a sense of depth to the image. Just make sure the texture is not front lit. It if is, you will get no shadows and the texture will seem flat.
Shadow
A shadow in a color photo generally has less visual weight because it is dark shade of gray versus the color in the subject throwing the shadow. That is not the case in a b&w photo, since both the subject and the shadow are shades of gray. That means shadows have more visual weight in a b&w photo. They are exciting. Use shadows to make up for the loss of interest and color.
Photo by Vicki Windman. Used with permission. You can see Vicki’s gallery on Instagram at @vbarn106
Shape
When color is gone, the frame is simplified. It is easier to see the shapes in the composition.
Contrast and tone is required to see shape.
How to visualize in b&w.
When you are shooting:
If you are considering creating b&w photos, when you shoot, being able to see a scene in gray tones can be a powerful tool.
This can be accomplished by using a pair of sunglasses with dark gray lenses.
It can also be accomplished by having a grayscale image in you camera viewing screen.
If you are using a digital camera, you most likely can choose a shooting mode of b&w. The advantage of that choice is that you will see the scene in b&w on your viewing screen. However, at the time the picture is shot, color will be stripped from the file and you will have a heavily compressed jpeg. You will have very few choices in post processing to improve the image, by increasing contrast, for example.
A better strategy with a digital camera is to shoot in raw + jpeg and create the b&w in post processing. If you shoot in raw + jpeg, you will not only have a raw file containing maximum data that can be converted to a b&w, but you will have a b&w preview file on your viewing screen.
When you are post processing:
To visualize in black and white, ignore the color. You should only pay attention to lines, shadows, and shapes
Exercise
Look at three of your b&w images. What makes them good?