Black and White Photos

[Hello]

Hi, what are the best things to take pictures of in black and white? I really want to take some pictures in black and white but i am not sure what to take a picture of.

[Rebecca]

Hi,To me some of the best things to take photos of,then converting into b&w are subjects which have a lot of structure.Could be something industrial,the sky,something woody,brickwork,metal,nature is generally good for b&w i think.Sometimes portraits are also better in b&w toning,if the person has very light or very reddish skin tones.I'd say just get out there and try,i used to just click away at anything that caught my eye,and i still think that is the best way to go ahead in photography.All the best,Rebecca

[KathrynDiane]

Hi, what are the best things to take pictures of in black and white? I really want to take some pictures in black and white but i am not sure what to take a picture of.

grainy portraits are beautiful in black and white.

[anthonyandrews]

black and white photography is beautiful. it's the same as color when picking a subject. what ever appeals to you or catches you eye as you walk down the street , or thruogh the park etc.
I tried a fuji film once a 1600 iso, and the results were great. Fuji is a very fine grain film so even the 1600 iso was not overly grainy. Just go get a roll of film and shoot, you'll probably be suprise at what you capture.
happy snapping.

[Dennis J Vogel]

I suggest that you purchase a very good photo editing software which includes photo conversion to B & W. This is an invaluable tool that every photographer should have. I use Adobe Photoshop CS which is probably one of the best on the market, but is also very pricey. Then take some or all of your color digital photos, copy and paste them so you that you have your originals intact, then convert the color copies into B & W and you can see for yourself which type of object you like best. Also you can correct any problems you may have made when you took the original photo. Not only does this answer the question about what to photograph in B & W, but also gives you some valuable skills in the photo editing process which at times can get quite complicated.

[ladybecklyn]

I agree with Rebecca, the best images are things that have lots of structure or texture. Some thing that has distinct variations of color, light to dark. It give the photo more contrast and creates a beautiful photo.

[vikas12]

nice one. i agree with ladybecklyn

[Leica]

I think portraits are best rendered in black and white. The drama adds further depth to somebody's face or hands. Landscapes where there are tall skyscrapers or mountains would be great for a black and white shot too.

[benjaminkreuk]

Patterns make great B&W photos.

[EasternSierra]

B&W photography is all about tonality, dynamics, contrast, lines and texture. Anything can look good in B&W if it is shot well, and processed using the right contrasts and tones.

My first recommendation to you would be to switch your camera to monotone and go out and shoot in B&W, capture in jpg, preview your photos and histogram, and learn how control your exposures. The reason I recommend capturing in jpg is because it forces you to make good exposures. You can't make "corrections" to a jpg the way you can a RAW file, so you will pay more attention to your highlights and shadows, and your histogram. You will also be able to review your shots and see what things look like in B&W. Most good DSLR cameras have built-in color filters for bringing contrast to your monotone jpgs. Use them. Red, orange, yellow, blue, green...whatever your camera offers.

Learn what these filters do, how they effect the tonal dynamics in the image, and how your histogram can show you your best exposure. THEN start capturing in RAW so you can take advantage of wonderful programs like Silver Efex Pro...

If you'd care to take a look, my photo blog is http://InterruptedThoughtProcess.com. I have a ton of B&W stuff on there...