Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Photography and portraiture - Why do photographers like black and white photos?

Why do photographers like black and white photos?

There may be different opinions about black and white photography. Some people think that this is a helpless move to reality because of the technical limitations in the past and the inability to overcome the technical problems in photography, while others think that this is a creative shooting method. With the development of camera design technology, more attention is paid to improving the color range, so why choose to shoot or process black and white images? In this article, we will discuss five reasons why we can shoot or convert images into black and white.

1. Black and white photos help to look at photography from different angles.

The original "masters" of photography were black and white photography from the beginning, because they had no choice. Even with the introduction of color photography technology in the world, black and white still exist. This is because black and white photography is the purest form of photography.

When you delete a color, the focus will move to other composite elements of the image. This includes lines, shapes and textures, contrast and tones.

Considering this, it is obvious that not all images can be converted into black and white images well. So, please look at all the elements and highlight other things that need to be dealt with besides color.

Usually, black and white helps to form different views on what we are used to seeing and what attracts our photographic eyes.

2. Black and white to eliminate screen interference

You may be used to seeing the colorful world, which sometimes leads to the loss of other elements and details or is taken for granted. Some elements needed for a good photographic work (as emphasized above) include contrast, texture, light and shape.

When taking black and white photos, I am challenging myself to eliminate color interference, including color cast and color temperature difference (ambient light source), and some bright elements that may be in the background or interfere with the story.

Monochrome photography pays attention to shape and texture when composing. If the emphasis is on * * * enjoying color, these elements are sometimes ignored. In black and white photography, distracting colors are converted into gray shadows.

3. Black and white photography provides a creative choice.

Because the world is colored, it can be said with certainty that color photography can better depict reality and be more real. So black-and-white photography is regarded as an explanation of reality, or an explanation of what you see.

When deleting colors, we should not only isolate different elements, but also find the relationship between them, which will help to explore and create different ways of telling stories.

Add emotion or emotion.

The change of tone range, strong black and strong contrast attract us psychologically, which will create a theme and make you stop and pay attention to what is depicted.

Many photographers use black and white images to describe their travels and street photography, as well as to depict religious or cultural events. Some types of monochrome can connect and enhance emotions.

5. Black and white photography is eternal.

Although this is the last item on the list, it is still one of the most common reasons why some photographers take black-and-white photography, and monochrome photography has always been recognized by people.

Black and white photos seem to transcend reality and go back to the past. The historical color design of a particular type of film or digital photography trend can indicate when to create an image, while removing the color cannot determine when to take an image.

conclusion

Although black-and-white photography still plays an important role in photography, please note that not all subjects can be well converted into this mode. Although strong composition does not depend on color, sometimes the intensity of a photo is its color, which is why it is best to know when to use black and white.

If you are interested in monochrome, please look for other elements of composition, such as texture, shape, lines and contrast, try to shoot and process black and white images, and then find out your favorite image theme.