How to take black and white photos

Many people also think that black and white photos can improve the artistic sense of photos and create a strong atmosphere. So how do you take black and white photos? The following is my sharing experience. Let's have a look.

1, cognitive contrast

In black-and-white photography, contrast intensity is one of the most important factors affecting the whole picture effect. Because in a black-and-white picture, it is impossible to shoot objects separately by color, contrast becomes the composition line to look for. Although you don't have to look for strong contrast every time you shoot, you should at least understand how the contrast of the shooting scene will affect the photos.

Step 2 pay attention to the light source

Front lighting can increase the contrast of the picture, while side lighting can easily show the texture of the object; Light from a single direction can produce shadows. Proper use of light can add luster to black and white photos, and failure to use light may disturb the theme of the work. This is a part that many beginners ignore, so you must pay attention to it.

Step 3 look for contours and patterns

Because color will distract the photographer, the outline and texture become less obvious in color photography. However, in black-and-white photography, contours and patterns are often highlighted and described exquisitely. Therefore, when shooting black and white photography, we should pay close attention to whether the textures and patterns in the composition are prominent.

4. Find a dynamic sky

If you often feel that the sky is too dark in your black and white photos, this technique may help you. When taking black-and-white landscape photos, we must pay attention to looking for a "dynamic sky", such as capturing the moment when the clouds disperse to form the most tense effect, that is, the sky before the storm. The gloomy sky before the rainstorm will also greatly reduce the brightness of the sky and the ground, allowing you to keep the most details in black and white photos. Of course, this is just an example, and photographers can also find the right shooting time according to their own feelings and themes.

Step 5 take a silhouette

Silhouette is often the best expression of black and white, light difference can highlight the characteristics of silhouette, and black and white can better express the uniqueness and contrast of silhouette. Therefore, novices may wish to try to shoot silhouettes with black and white photography, and they can also make unique effects.

Black-and-white photography is not just the five skills mentioned above. For beginners, referring to it when shooting can really get twice the result with half the effort. Of course, more practice and more self-creation can make more amazing works. Let's try your own black and white photos.